NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central men's basketball team will officially be the No. 3 seed in the 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament after the regular season concluded Thursday night. The tournament runs from March 11-14 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

NCCU finished the regular season 12-17 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The Eagles and Norfolk State both finished tied for third place, but the tiebreaker awarded NC Central the No. 3 seed.

The Eagles are set to face sixth-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore (5-9) on Thursday, March 12, at 8 p.m. The teams last met on March 2 in Princess Anne, Md., when NC Central completed a season sweep of the Hawks.

Morgan State (10-4) and Delaware State (2-12) are also on NCCU's side of the bracket. The Bears earned the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 Delaware State on Wednesday, March 11, at 6 p.m.

Howard (11-3) headlines the opposite side of the bracket as the No. 1 seed and MEAC regular-season champion. The Bison will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 Norfolk State (8-6) and No. 5 South Carolina State (7-7). The Spartans and Bulldogs will play Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m.

Only seven teams will compete in the men's tournament, as Coppin State (5-9) is ineligible for postseason competition.

Both semifinal games will be played on Friday, March 13, at 6 and 8 p.m., while the tournament champion will be crowned Saturday, March 14, at 1 p.m. All quarterfinal and semifinal games will be streamed on ESPN+, while the championship game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.