The NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s Selection Sunday is fast approaching, with a number of the 68 spots in the field already claimed.
Texas and SMU, on the other hand, seemed destined to wait until Sunday to learn their fates, as both are squarely on the bubble. Houston, Texas Tech, TCU, and, to a lesser extent, Texas A&M are in good shape and waiting to learn where they are headed.
Wait: Prairie View made it? It did! Here is a rundown of where Texas teams (and the University of New Mexico) stand less than a week before the dance begins.
When is Selection Sunday for March Madness 2026?
The NCAA selection show will be at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 15. It will be shown on CBS. The women’s selection show will be at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 15.
Did Texas teams automatically make March Madness 2026?
Yes, and not the one you think. Prairie View A&M had one way in: It had to have a winning record. That looked unlikely when they had a 12-17 record with two games left in the regular season. The Panthers won those last two, swept four games in the SWAC tournament as a No. 8 seed and are marching on to Dayton. They will be in a First Four game either Tuesday or Wednesday.
NCAA tournament locks
There are 37 at-large bids, with the last four of those going to teams that must participate in the First Four in Dayton Tuesday and Wednesday. The following projections are from Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi of ESPN.
Records are as of noon MT/1 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 14.
UH Houston
Projected seed: No. 2. Conference: Big 12. Record: 28-6. USA Today Coaches Poll: 5. Status: Lost Big 12 title game to Arizona.
Texas Tech
Projected seed: 4. Conference: Big 12. Record: 22-10. USA Today Coaches Poll: 14. Status: Out of Big 12 tournament.
TCU
Projected seed: 8. Conference: Big 12. Record: 22-10. Status: Out of Big 12 tournament.
Texas A&M basketball
Projected seed: 9. Conference: SEC. Record: 21-10. Status: Out of SEC tournament.
On the bubble for March Madness
Texas
Projected seed: 11 (last team in; projected First Four in Dayton). Conference: SEC. Record: 18-14. Status: Out of SEC tournament.
SMU
Projected seed: 11 (next-to-last team in; projected First Four in Dayton). Conference: ACC. Record: 20-13. Status: Out of ACC tournament.
New Mexico
Projected seed: Fourth team out. Conference: Mountain West. Record: 22-9. Status: Out of Mountain West tournament.
Must win conference tournament
There are 31 conferences that receive automatic bids. The following Texas teams are not considered possibilities for at-large bids.
Prairie View A&M
Conference: SWAC. Projected seed: Last four in, First Four in Dayton, Ohio. Record: 18-17. Status: Won the SWAC tournament to automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament.
When is March Madness 2026?
March Madness began with conference tournaments in early March.
When is the First Four?
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. There will be two games Tuesday, March 17 beginning at 4:40 p.m. MT/5:40 p.m. CT and two games Wednesday, March 18.
When is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament tips off with the First Four on March 17. There will be 16 games on March 19 and 16 games on March 20. The tournament lasts for three weeks, with games Thursday through Sunday.
The championship is Monday, April 6, in Indianapolis.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Track March Madness Texas teams in 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournaments
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
