Navy Leads the Way into the 2026 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The bracket for the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship is set, with regular-season League play concluding on Saturday. First-round action begins on Tuesday, March 3.

Navy (25-6, 17-1 PL) clinched the No. 1 seed on February 18, securing its first outright regular-season title since 1997 Patriot League, matching the 2022-23 Colgate Raiders with the best regular-season mark since the League expanded to 10 teams in 2013-14.

Lehigh (15-16, 11-7 PL) earned the No. 2 seed, its highest championship seeding since 2015-16. Colgate (17-14, 11-7 PL) received the No. 3 seed, and Boston University (15-16, 10-8 PL) clinched the No. 4 seed after defeating American (16-15, 9-9 PL) in the regular-season finale Patriot League. American secured the fifth seed.

First Round Matchups – Tuesday, March 3

No. 8 Bucknell (9-22, 6-12 PL) will host No. 9 Army West Point (11-20, 5-13 PL), with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Navy in the quarterfinals. No. 7 Lafayette (11-20, 8-10 PL) will welcome No. 10 Holy Cross (10-21, 5-13 PL) in the other first-round game. Both games will be available live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.

Quarterfinal Round – Thursday, March 5

The third-seeded Colgate Raiders will host No. 6 Loyola Maryland (12-19, 8-10 PL) in a Thursday quarterfinal. No. 4 Boston University will host the fifth-seeded American Eagles in a rematch of their Saturday contest. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. On ESPN+.

Key Matchups and Recent Results

Boston University defeated American 68-65, securing the No. 4 seed and a home game in the quarterfinals. Freshman guard Chance Gladden led the Terriers with 22 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field Patriot League.

Loyola Maryland defeated Holy Cross 76-62, sweeping the season series. Freshman forward Emmett Adair led the Greyhounds with 25 points Patriot League.

Lafayette defeated Army West Point 83-77, as well sweeping their season series. Junior guard Mark Butler scored a career-high 21 points for the Leopards Patriot League.

Lehigh defeated Bucknell 89-79, with junior guard Nasir Whitlock scoring 32 points for the Mountain Hawks Patriot League.

Navy completed its dominant regular season with an 85-67 victory over Colgate, sweeping the season series and finishing with a 17-1 conference record. Senior center Aidan Kehoe and senior forward Donovan Draper each recorded double-doubles Patriot League.

Championship Schedule

Semifinals – Sunday, March 8: Hosted by the higher seed, televised on CBS Sports Network.

Championship Game – Wednesday, March 11: Hosted by the higher seed, televised on CBS Sports Network.