Championship Central
 
NEW YORK – For the 44^th consecutive season, the BIG EAST Conference will call Madison Square Garden home for its men’s basketball tournament. The official times and television slots were announced Monday, with Peacock and FOX Sports each showcasing five contests for the second straight season.
 
The 2026 BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep will begin on Wednesday, March 11, with a first-round tripleheader on Peacock. The No. 8 seed meets the No. 9 seed at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the No. 7 seed battling the No. 10 seed at 6:30 p.m. The evening concludes at 9 p.m., with the No. 6 seed playing the No. 11 seed.  The final two games of Wednesday’s opening day of play will also air on NBC Sports Network.
 
Thursday's quarterfinals on March 12 will continue the BIG EAST Tournament tradition of taking over Madison Square Garden for the entire day, electrifying the metro area college basketball community, as well as those coming from across the BIG EAST map. Peacock and NBCSN will cast the afternoon doubleheader featuring the No. 1 seed facing the winner of Wednesday’s 8-9 game, followed by a matchup that will pit the No. 4 seed against the No. 5 seed.
 
FS1 will take over for the evening doubleheader, beginning at 7 p.m., with the No. 2 seed facing the winner of Wednesday’s 7-10 game. Quarterfinal action will conclude at 9:30 p.m. with the No. 3 seed going up against the winner of Wednesday’s 6-11 contest.
 
Friday’s semifinal night will feature a battle between the winners of Thursday’s afternoon sessions, with the first game tipping at 5:30 p.m. on FOX, followed by the nightcap at 8 p.m. on FS1. The BIG EAST Championship will broadcast live on FOX at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. 
 
Now in its fourth decade in New York City, the BIG EAST Tournament is college basketball's longest-running postseason basketball conference championship held at the same venue, dating to 1983. Last season's 2025 BIG EAST Tournament, won by St. John’s, sold out each session to 19,812 supporting fans.
 
A limited number of all-session tickets will be made available digitally and can be accessed via http://www.ticketmaster.com/bigeast. Tickets can also be downloaded and managed on the Ticketmaster Mobile App. Fans can utilize the official Ticketmaster fan-to-fan resale marketplace if unable to attend a particular session.
 
Taking events to the next level, Elevate and the BIG EAST are partnering up again in 2026 for a premium fan experience. Elevate’s mission is to provide exceptional experience at premier sporting and entertainment events that are inspiring and distinct to each customer. For more information visit HERE.
 
2026 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament
Presented by Jeep
 
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed – 4 p.m. ET | Peacock
Game 2: No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed – 6:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
Game 3: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed – 9 p.m. ET | Peacock
 
Thursday, March 12
Game 4: No. 1 seed vs. No. 8/9 seed – 12 p.m. ET | Peacock
Game 5: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed – 2:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
Game 6: No. 2 seed vs. No. 7/10 seed – 7 p.m. ET | FS1
Game 7: No. 3 seed vs. No. 6/11 seed – 9:30 p.m. ET | FS1
 
Friday, March 13
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – 5:30 p.m. ET | FOX
Game 9: Game 6 Winner vs Game 7 Winner – 8 p.m. ET | FS1
 
Saturday, March 14
Game 10: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner – 6:30 p.m. ET | FOX