HADDONFIELD, N.J. - The 2026 Atlantic East Conference Men’s Basketball Championship is set to begin on Monday, February 23, with first round action between the fourth and fifth seed.

After semifinal play on Wednesday, February 25, the championship will take place on Saturday, February 28. The winner of the championship will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, finding out its opponent in the national selection show on Monday, March 2.

The tournament seeding is as follows: 
1. Marymount (13-1)
2. Gwynedd Mercy (11-3) 
3. Centenary (9-5)
4. Neumann (8-6)
5. Marywood (6-8)

First round action will tip off on Monday, February 23, with the fifth seeded Marywood Pacers heading to fourth seeded Neumann for an 8 p.m. start time. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals, heading to top seeded Marymount on Wednesday, February 25, starting at 7 p.m. The other semifinal match, on that same day, will feature second seeded Gwynedd Mercy hosting Centenary, the third seed.

Wednesday’s winners will meet on Saturday, February 28 for the championship match, with the highest remaining seed being awarded hosting rights.

Both Neumann and Marymount have had a stronghold on the title, with Neumann having won in 2024-25 and 2021-22 with the Saints filling the middle, taking home back-to-back championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

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