Texas is sending seven men's basketball programs to the 2026 NCAA Tournament - one of the largest single-state contingents in this year's March Madness field - after the selection committee unveiled the bracket on Sunday evening.
The bracket was revealed during the Selection Show on CBS at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15. The Lone Star State is represented across all four regions, with programs ranging from a No. 2 seed contender to a First Four participant.
Houston leads the Texas pack as a No. 2 seed in the South Region, making it the eighth consecutive season the Cougars have qualified for the tournament under head coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars hold an additional advantage: the South Regional's second weekend will be played at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston, meaning the team could play its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games essentially at home. Houston opens against No. 15 seed Idaho in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Texas Tech earned a No. 5 seed, TCU landed at No. 9, and Texas A&M came in at No. 10. Texas Tech faces No. 12 Akron in Tampa in the first round, while TCU - back in the field for the fourth time in five years - draws No. 8 Ohio State. Texas A&M, making its fourth consecutive tournament appearance, will face No. 7 Saint Mary's in Oklahoma City on Thursday. A win would set up a potential second-round matchup with Houston.
Texas and SMU both earned spots as bubble teams, joining NC State and Miami of Ohio as the last four programs selected into the field. Texas will face NC State in a First Four play-in game on Tuesday for the right to play No. 6 BYU in the West Region, while SMU faces Miami of Ohio in a separate First Four game on Wednesday for an No. 11 seed spot in the Midwest. It marks SMU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 in second-year head coach Andy Enfield's first full season in the ACC.
Prairie View A&M rounds out the Texas contingent after one of the more dramatic conference tournament runs of the season. The Panthers entered the SWAC Tournament as the No. 8 seed and won four consecutive games to claim the automatic bid. They will face Patriot League champion Lehigh in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:40 p.m. CT. The winner advances to face No. 1 seed Florida in Tampa.
The Big 12 and SEC each placed eight teams in the 68-team field, giving both conferences a commanding presence across the bracket. First round games tip off Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, with the national championship set for Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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