BOSTON – For the first time since 2021, the #AEPlayoffs will run through Catonsville as UMBC is the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed for the first time in five seasons. The Retrievers sit atop the bracket for the 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs, which start in just four days!
Playoff hoops will take place on a minimum of four America East campuses for the 12th-straight season on the men’s side with the higher seeds hosting each round. Joining UMBC as quarterfinal hosts are #2 Vermont, #3 NJIT and #4 UMass Lowell. Those four teams earned crucial home court advantage as the home team is 57-12 (.826) in the #AEPlayoffs format since 2015.
- UMBC (21-8, 14-2 AE) – Regular-season champions; #AEPlayoffs No. 1 seed for the third time (2021, ’08); Retrievers’ 14 AE wins are most in a season in program history; First 20-win season since 2018-19; Winners of nine-straight games
- Vermont (20-11, 12-4 AE) – Seeded #2 for second-straight year; Been seeded first or second every year since 207; 17th-straight 20-win campaign in a full season; Won six of last seven games
- NJIT (15-16, 10-6 AE) – Highest-ever #AEPlayoffs seed; Most AE wins since joining conference in 2020; Most overall wins since 2018-19 campaign
- UMass Lowell (14-17, 9-7 AE) – Top four seed for the third time in last four years; Winner of five of its last seven games entering playoffs; Angel Montas Jr. averaged 20.0 ppg in conference games
- UAlbany (11-20, 7-9 AE) – Earn #5 seed for third time since 2021; Seeking 6th-ever America East title
- Maine (8-23, 6-10) – Reached first title game since 2004 last season
- Bryant (9-21, 5-11 AE) – Reigning America East champions
- New Hampshire (9-20, 5-11 AE) – Snapped eight-game losing skid vs. Bryant; Seeking to become just 3rd No. 8 seed to knock off the top seed
Tonight, UMBC earned its program-best 14th conference win of the season by beating NJIT, 91-52. The loss locked in the No. 2 seed for Vermont, which beat UAlbany, 69-56, to finish 12-4. Angel Montas Jr. scored a career-high 33 points to lead UMass Lowell to a 67-56 win at Maine. UNH rallied for an 88-83 double-overtime victory over Bryant to snap its eight-game losing skid. The Bulldogs loss locked them into the No. 7 seed and gave Maine the No. 6 seed.
Quarterfinal action takes place on Saturday, March 7 with No. 1 UMBC hosting No. 8 New Hampshire to kick off the day’s action at 1 p.m. No. 4 UMass Lowell will entertain No. 5 UAlbany, also at 1p.m. while No. 7 Bryant will visit No. 2 Vermont in a rematch of last year’s semifinal showdown at 2 p.m. No. 3 NJIT will welcome No. 6 Maine to Newark to wrap up the day with a 4 p.m. tip off.
The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinals on Tuesday, March 10 at the two highest remaining seeds. The bracket will be re-seeded with the highest-remaining seed hosting the lowest-remaining seed and the second-highest remaining seed hosting the second-lowest remaining seed.
The two semifinal winners will play for the America East title and an automatic NCAA bid on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. at the highest remaining seed’s home court. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Tickets can be obtained by contacting each host's ticket office or visiting #AEPlayoffs Central.
All 2026 #AEPlayoffs action can be watched on ESPN networks. The entire championship will air on ESPN+ as part of The AE on ESPN with a simulcast for international viewers on AmericaEast.TV. The championship game will be also be nationally televised on ESPN2. All three rounds will also be available via the ESPN app.
Complete postseason information can be found at americaeast.com/mbbplayoffs.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -