Yes! You read that right: Drexel men’s basketball has officially made it to the big Dance!

After losing in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament to Monmouth, the Dragons’ luck turned around with a surprise invitation to the NCAA March Madness tournament.  

Following Penn’s surprise victory in the Ivy League tournament, which earned them a spot in March Madness, the team announced that they had to drop out, citing that their opponent, the University of Illinois, was “not prestigious” enough for them. 

Luckily enough for the Illini, another team was ready to step up to the challenge. 

This bid, sponsored by Governor Josh Shapiro himself, was largely seen as a political calculation to win support from Drexel students in his upcoming reelection for a second term in office. With Drexel joining March Madness, Pennsylvania now has four universities in the tournament, raising the profile of the Keystone State. 

“Polls already show that I have support from students at Lehigh, Penn, and Villanova,” said Shapiro in a campaign stop at the former Wawa on 34th and Market Street. “But voter turnout among Drexel students is at an all-time low. I had to do something to gain their support.”

The NCAA was more than happy to accommodate. A spokesperson for the organization said that, “on paper, Drexel is as close to Penn as you can get. They are both from Philadelphia. Sure, they are not as prestigious as Penn, but desperate times call for desperate measures.” 

The men earned a 13-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. For the team, this is their first trip back to the tournament since 2021.

Drexel’s fourth appearance at the NCAA tournament comes after multiple years of disappointing seasons. Coincidentally, Drexel’s last tournament appearance five years ago was also against Illinois, where they lost 78-49.

ESPN analysts are already predicting a blowout. But do not count out the Dragons just yet. Users on Kalshi, the popular prediction market website, have the odds of “The Dragon” beating “The I” at 1:99, meaning betting on Drexel could win you big. In the era of insider trading and match fixing, you never know!

Drexel is set to play Illinois on April 1st at 10 p.m, way past prime time.

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