The 2026 Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament is set to tip off on Thursday morning at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Although the MAC features 13 programs, only the top eight qualify for the tournament, with the winner earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, the biggest storyline entering the tournament is the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten team: the 31-0 Miami (Ohio) RedHawks. Travis Steele’s group steamrolled through conference play, finishing a perfect 18-0 in the Mid-American, and now turns its focus to finishing the job in Cleveland. With three more wins, Miami would not only secure the league’s automatic bid, but also punch its first NCAA Tournament ticket in nearly two decades.
According to the odds, one team may stand in their way.
2026 MAC Tournament Info
- 📍 Location: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
- 📅 Dates: March 12-14
- 📺💻 Broadcast: ESPN+
2026 MAC Tournament Odds
Akron (-150) surprisingly enters the MAC Tournament as the odds-on favorite after finishing second in the regular season standings at 17-1 in conference play and 26-5 overall. The Zips have been one of the MAC’s most consistent programs all year and will ride a seven-game winning streak into Cleveland. Their only conference loss came on the road at Miami (Ohio), 76-73 – a defeat they’ll be eager to avenge as they look to take down the league’s top team and claim the crown for themselves.
Miami (OH) (+220) may be undefeated and the league’s No. 1 seed, but the RedHawks find themselves sitting just behind Akron on the odds board. Winners of 31 straight, the RedHawks have dominated both at home (16-0) and on the road (14-0) this season and carry the nation’s longest winning streak into the tournament. As the top seed, they’ll open against No. 8 UMass and are aiming to cap off a historic regular season by becoming just the 21st team in college basketball history to enter March Madness undefeated.
Toledo (+1200) slots in as the No. 4 seed after going 11-7 in conference play. The Rockets have been far more comfortable at home (11-4) than away (5-9), but they’ve shown flashes of high-level play throughout the season. They’ll square off with No. 5 Bowling Green in one of the more competitive quarterfinal matchups, with a potential semifinal date against Miami (OH) looming.
Kent State (+1400), the No. 3 seed, finished 14-4 in the MAC and 23-8 overall. The Golden Flashes have quietly put together another strong campaign and enter the tournament having won two straight. They’ll take on No. 6 Ohio in the quarterfinals, a matchup that could be one of the tighter contests on the board given the familiarity between the programs.
Bowling Green (+1750) earned the No. 5 seed at 9-9 in league play and faces rival Toledo in the opening round. The Falcons closed the regular season with back-to-back victories and will need to carry that momentum into Cleveland if they want to make a run at the title.
Below is the full field, seeding and odds to win the 2026 MAC Tournament at Hard Rock Bet.
Odds as of Thursday, March 12. Subject to change.
Team (Seed) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Akron Zips (2) | -150 |
| Miami Ohio Redhawks (1) | +220 |
| Toledo Rockets (4) | +1200 |
| Kent State Golden Flashes (3) | +1400 |
| Bowling Green Falcons (5) | +1750 |
| Massachusetts Minutemen (8) | +3000 |
| Ohio Bobcats (6) | +3000 |
| Buffalo Bulls (7) | +4000 |
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