For the first time in the tournament’s 49-year history, it will be played at a neutral venue outside of the Carolinas. There’s still some inherent home-field advantage for some teams (Georgia Tech probably gets more support than Stanford, for example), but for the most part, playing Georgia should level the playing field as we get to the final stages of the bracket.
Advertisement
How to watch the 2026 ACC women’s basketball tournament
Location: Gas South Arena – Duluth, Georgia.
Date: March 4-8
TV: ACC Network, ESPN2, ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (Free Streaming Now!)
See it in person? Get tickets on StubHub
All ESPN networks, including ACCN, are also available on ESPN Unlimited.
Teams to follow
The Blue Devils’ season is a lesson in determination. After a brutal non-conference schedule that saw them face South Carolina, UCLA and LSU in back-to-back games, Duke went 3-6 and barely resembled the team that was ranked No. 7 in the AP preseason poll. From there, Kara Lawson’s team achieved 17 consecutive victories. — including a 59-58 win at Louisville — before concluding the regular season at 21-8.
Advertisement
Lawson led the Blue Devils to an ACC tournament title in 2025, and this year’s team is successful in many of the same ways: Duke has one of the best 3-point defense in the country and fosters an offense that prioritizes working toward the best shot possible. Guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair combine for 10 assists per game, while leading scorer Toby Fournier also leads the team with 2.3 blocks per game.
The Cardinals remain a powerhouse in Jeff Walz’s 19th season as head coach. Louisville played through most of its conference schedule and won 14 in a row from December 7 to February 1, with notable road wins against North Carolina, Notre Dame and NC State.
The Cardinals are very efficient on offense and rank inside the top 25 on the board. Seven players average at least 7.8 points per game, and four score in double figures. They will be a difficult exit.
Typically a mainstay near the top of the AP poll, the Fighting Irish enter the ACC tournament in uncharted territory: no ranking. Still, thanks to the tiebreakers, Notre Dame gets the nod as the fifth seed and should have a fairly easy path to the quarterfinals.
Advertisement
This is not a particularly deep team, but they have one of the best players in the country in Hannah Hidalgo. The third-year guard averages 25.2 points, best in the ACC, and leads the country with 5.6 steals per game, highlighted by a 44-point, 16-steal performance in an early-season win over Akron. His Irish finished the regular season on a strong note by defeating Louisville on the road, and carry significant momentum into the conference tournament.
If there’s any lower-ranked team to keep an eye on, it’s Virginia. The Cavaliers have often held their own against top competitors, with wins over Notre Dame and Louisville. They are led by All-ACC guard Kymora Johnson, a dynamic two-way threat who rarely spends time on the bench.
Virginia does not defend the three-ball very well and its opponents get to the free throw line at a high rate. However, the Cavs also lead the nation with 6.8 blocks per game and feature 6-foot-4 forwards Tabitha Amanze and Caitlin Weimar.
Three of the ACC’s 18 teams did not qualify for the conference tournament: SMU, Pitt and Boston College.
Advertisement
Tournament schedule
All times ET. Conference tournament seeds are also listed.
Wednesday, March 4 – First round
Announcer: ACCN
Game 1: No. 13 Stanford vs. No. 12 Miami, 11 a.m.
Game 2: No. 15 Wake Forest vs. No. 10 California, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 14 Florida State vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech, 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 5 – Second round
Announcer: ACCN
Game 4: No. 9 Clemson vs. No. 8 Virginia, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 7 Syracuse, 5 p.m.
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6 – Quarterfinals
ESPN2 and ACCN
Advertisement
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. No. 1 Duke, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. No. 2 Louisville, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. No. 3 North Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Saturday March 7 – Semifinals
Announcer: ESPN2
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 8, noon
Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Game 10 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday March 8 – Championship
Announcer: ESPN
Game 14: Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 12, 1:00 p.m.
Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains total editorial independence. Partners have no control or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Cavaliers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Stanford Cardinal, North Carolina Tar Heels, Syracuse Orange, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Louisville Cardinals, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, California Golden Bears, Women’s College Basketball, Fubo Partnership, How to Watch
2026 The Athletic Media Company