Hot Shot Takes Over at HBCU Men's Basketball Showdown!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 29: A detail view of NCAA March Madness and Wilson logos prior to the game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the USC Trojans at Galen Center on January 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) Tennessee State, Prairie View A&M and Howard are all going dancing on the men’s side of the bracket, while Howard and Southern made the women’s NCAA tournament, looking to make history. The field for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments is almost set, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities are making history before a game is even tipped off.
With wins by Prairie View A&M , Tennessee State and Howard , the men’s field of 68 will feature three HBCU squads. It’s the most schools to qualify for the tournament since 1994, when Texas Southern, Tennessee State and North Carolina A&T all reached the NCAA tournament. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tennessee State Men's Basketball (@tsutigersmbb) For Tennessee State, its second trip to the big dance comes with historic precedence.
After winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, the Tigers were selected as a No. 15 seed, bypassing the First Four, which the NCAA Selection Committee has traditionally placed HBCU programs in the past. Going into the national tournament, the Tigers completed a sweep of the OVC’s regular season and conference tournaments and have won a school-record 23 games this season under first-year head coach Nolan Smith.
2026 marks their third tourney appearance overall after back-to-back bids in 1992-93 and 1993-94. If the Tigers do win against Iowa State, they would become the second HBCU 15-seed to beat a 2-seed, joining Hampton, which beat Iowa State in 2001. Joining the Tigers are the Panthers of Prairie View A&M, who won the SWAC title tournament.
The Panthers, who also won the SWAC football crown, became the second team to ever win the SWAC men’s hoops title as the No. 8 seed, joining the 2023 Texas Southern Tigers. The Panthers will face Lehigh in the First Four, with the winner facing defending national champion Florida in the first round.