The McNeese men’s basketball team is heading to the 2026 NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference. In the Southland tournament, it defeated UTRGV 84-80 in 3OT and Stephen F. Austin 76-59 in the championship game to clinch the auto-bid.
The Cowboys are 28-5 overall entering the Big Dance and on a 10-game winning streak.
McNeese NCAA Tournament Appearances
In 2026, McNeese basketball will make its 5th appearance in the Division 1 NCAA Tournament and its third in a row.
The Cowboys also reached the tourney in 1989, 2002, 2024, and 2025.
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McNeese Basketball NCAA Tournament Wins
McNeese has won one game in the Division 1 NCAA Tournament, beating Clemson 69-67 in 2025.
Its overall record in the Big Dance is 1-5, losing to Illinois in 1989, Mississippi State in 2002, Gonzaga in 2024, Purdue in 2025, and Vanderbilt in 2026.
McNeese Basketball Coach Bill Armstrong Salary
Bill Armstrong became McNeese’s next head basketball coach in March 2025, signing a four-year deal worth $1.4 million, plus incentives.
He is the 13th head coach in school history.
Armstrong spent 17 total seasons coaching in the SEC, with his most recent stop at Baylor in the 2024-25 season. Before Baylor, he was the head coach at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. Armstrong served as the associate head coach at LSU from 2020-22.
Armstrong played college basketball at UAB from 1998 to 2001. The Blazers reached the NCAA Tournament in 1999, and he was a team captain during his senior year.
