First March Madness Bid
LIU locked in the first men’s automatic bid to March Madness after Wagner's finals opponent became ineligible [https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-11/tracking-31-ncaa-mens-basketball-conference-tournaments-auto-bids-2026-march].
LIU secured the Northeast Conference's automatic bid after Merrimack, who defeated them in the finals, was deemed ineligible for NCAA postseason play due to their ongoing transition to Division I. Merrimack, though a full D-I member, is ineligible for the NCAA tournament until the 2027-28 season. This marks LIU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 when they were known as LIU Brooklyn. The university consolidated its Brooklyn and Post campuses athletic programs in 2019. The Sharks will find out their seeding and opponent during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on March 15. This early bid provides LIU with valuable time to prepare for the tournament, scout potential opponents, and fine-tune their strategies.
