OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team, which captivated the nation with an undefeated regular season, begins its NCAA Tournament journey tonight in the First Four. The No. 11 seed RedHawks (31-1) will face the No. 11 seed SMU Mustangs (20-13) at 9:15 PM ET in Dayton, Ohio, with the game broadcast on TruTV.
The RedHawks earned an at-large bid to the tournament on Selection Sunday, March 15, 2026, marking a dramatic return to March Madness. Their storybook season hit its first snag just days prior, suffering its only loss—an 87-83 defeat to UMass in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals on March 12. Despite the setback, the committee rewarded Miami’s historic 31-1 record.
“The RedHawks, who went undefeated during the regular season and boast a 31-1 overall record, will open tournament play in the First Four,” stated the university’s official announcement. The team’s motto, “BTA,” which stands for “Big Team Attitude,” has been a season-long rallying cry, even garnering a pre-tournament message of support from celebrity and wrestling icon John Cena.
Miami’s resume has been the subject of intense debate among analysts. The team possesses the nation’s best field goal percentage (52.4%) and ranks eighth in three-point shooting (39.2%). However, critics point to a strength of schedule ranked 298th nationally by ESPN metrics, which placed their at-large bid under scrutiny, notably over power-conference teams like Auburn.
“The advantage of having experienced players is that our team has been very good in close games this year,” head coach Travis Steele told CBS Sports, emphasizing his team’s resilience.
Should the RedHawks advance past SMU, they will travel to St. Louis to face the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers in the Round of 64 on Friday, March 20. Meanwhile, in a separate bracket, the University of Miami Hurricanes (25-8), the ACC’s third-place team, are also dancing. The No. 25 ranked Hurricanes, led by coach Jai Lucas, await their first-round opponent.
Tonight’s First Four contest pits Miami’s elite offense against an SMU team embracing its underdog role. “When the SMU men’s basketball team takes the court in Dayton, Ohio, for the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, it will do so against one of the season’s biggest stories,” SMU Athletics noted.