Going dancing: Gaels celebrate winning their fourth West Coast Conference Regular Season Title in a row. And now they’re headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight time. / Photo by Tod Fierner for SMC Athletics
The Gaels Are Dancin’! Saint Mary’s Is Headed to the NCAA Tournament for the Fifth Time in a Row, Bound for OKC as a Seven Seed
Saint Mary’s clinches an invite to the Big Dance once again—and sets a program record with five invites and five single seeds in a row. They play 10th-seeded Texas A&M on Thursday.
For a program record fifth consecutive year, Saint Mary’s is going dancing! The Gaels Men’s Basketball team head to the 2026 NCAA Tournament on the back of a 25–7 campaign and their fourth consecutive West Coast Conference Regular Season Title. The seventh seeded Gaels will now travel to Oklahoma City to face the 10th seeded Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday, March 19. Tipoff is at 4:35 p.m. Pacific.
The Gaels are one of just 13 teams to make five straight NCAA Tournaments, and one of just three non-power four schools to earn that distinction, joining Gonzaga and UConn. That number drops down to 12 schools that have earned a single-digit seed in each of the last five tournaments, and 10 that have worn a home uniform in the round of 64 in each of the last five tournaments. Saint Mary’s checks all those boxes.
Three from the WCC
Texas A&M has amassed a 21–11 record heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the SEC with Vanderbilt and Tennessee. They were upset by Oklahoma in the second round of the SEC Tournament but will hope to regroup in OKC. Also in the Gaels’ pod are 15-seed Idaho (Big Sky Champs) and two-seed Houston (Big12 Runners-Up).
This year marks a special distinction for the WCC as well. Saint Mary’s is one of three WCC teams in the tournament. Along with perennial rivals Gonzaga earning an invite, the Santa Clara Broncos have returned to the Big Dance for the first time in 30 years.
The Bay Area will be home for the Sweet 16 at the end of March, with teams battling it out in the SAP Center in San Jose.
Sendoff Celebration: March 17 at 11 a.m.
Saint Mary’s fans are invited to help us send off the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament. Come on out for a Sendoff Celebration on Tuesday, March 11 at 11 a.m. Fans are invited to gather at the turnaround between UCA Pavilion and the Soda Center on the Saint Mary’s campus. Along with cheers and good times, enjoy some free donuts as well. Be sure to wear your Gael gear!
Up Next: See the Gaels Play in Oklahoma City on March 19
Submit your request for tickets in Oklahoma City here. Come out, get loud and support your Gaels! Can’t make it to Oklahoma City in person? Catch the game live on TruTV. Tipoff is at 4:35 p.m. Pacific.
Watch Party on the Saint Mary’s Campus…and More Around the Country
The wider Saint Mary’s community is invited to a watch party at the 1928 Pub and Dryden Hall on campus on Thursday, March 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. Enjoy free food and giveaways.
Throughout California and beyond, Saint Mary’s alumni and friends are gathering for watch parties on Thursday. Here’s the most recent information on times and locations.
Story updated March 16, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific
