Texas and North Carolina State will compete as No. 11 seeds in the NCAA Tournament First Four on March 17 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The game is scheduled for approximately 8:10 p.m. Central time and will be broadcast nationally on truTV.
This matchup marks Texas’ sixth consecutive appearance and its 40th overall in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns are among a select group of schools with consistent tournament participation, having appeared in at least 24 of the last 27 tournaments and at least 32 of the last 37.
The teams have met six times previously, with Texas leading the series four games to two. Their most recent meeting was on November 26, 2025, when Texas won by a score of 102-97.
Texas enters the tournament with an efficient offense, ranking thirteenth nationally in offensive efficiency according to KenPom through games played as of March 15. The team averages 83.8 points per game, its highest since the mid-1990s, and has a field goal percentage of 48.6 percent—the best since the late 1980s.
Junior guard/forward Dailyn Swain has been named SEC Newcomer of the Year and is one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. According to ESPN Research, Swain is currently the only player in a major conference to lead his team in at least five major statistical categories: scoring (17.7 points per game), rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game), assists (104), steals (55), and minutes played (32 per game).
The winner of this First Four contest will advance further into March Madness as both teams look to extend their postseason run.
