Vanderbilt basketball was selected as a No. 5 seed in March Madness in the South Region, where it will face McNeese State in Oklahoma City to start the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 19.
The Commodores will tip off at approximately 2:15 p.m. CT on TruTV.
If Vanderbilt advances, it would face the winner of No. 4 Nebraska vs No. 13 Troy. The No. 1 seed in this region is Florida.
The Commodores (26-8) finished tied for fourth in the SEC with an 11-7 conference record. Their marquee wins included over Alabama at home, Tennessee on the road and Florida in the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt made it to the final of the SEC tournament on March 15 for the first time since 2012, but lost to Arkansas 86-75 at Bridgestone Arena.
Vanderbilt is making its second straight NCAA tournament appearance after having not appeared since 2017. Last season, the 10-seed Commodores lost in their first game to Saint Mary’s.
This season, Vanderbilt has improved in its second year under coach Mark Byington, with Tyler Tanner taking a step forward and becoming a first-team All-SEC player in his sophomore season. Tanner also was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.
Date: Thursday, March 19
Time: Approximately 2:15 p.m. CT
TV: TruTV
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
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