March Madness is unlike any other sporting event because anything can happen in a one-and-done format. On Wednesday, Prairie View A&M notched its first-ever tournament win in the First Four against Lehigh, 67-55. In the process, they secured a first-round matchup with the defending national champion Florida Gators on Thursday.
Afterward, head coach Byron Smith offered some hopeful words about the moment, per Fox College Hoops. At the same time, he hilariously equated it to him being married for the first time.
“It's really special,” Smith said. “It reminds me of when I got married, that's the first time I did that too. But it didn't work out too good, just joking.”
“I mean, obviously, to move on to the first round, it's exciting. For all young people, anything is possible with hard work and perseverance. And having some thick skin and good things can happen. I tell our kids all the time, when you live right, you do the right things, you become an everyday guy, and good things are going to happen for you.”
Prairie View A&M HC Byron Smith reacts to his team winning its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in program history. @PVAMUPanthers pic.twitter.com/TH0dCEDXaw
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 19, 2026
Meanwhile, Prairie View A&M joins alongside Howard University, which defeated UMBC in its First Four matchup and will play against Michigan in the first round. Prairie View A&M is an HBCU in Prairie View, Texas, which is near Houston.
Over the years, Prairie View A&M has appeared in two other NCAA Tournaments. The first time was in 1998, when they were a No. 16 seed, losing to No. 1 Kansas 110-52. In 2019, they made it to the First Four and lost to Fairleigh Dickinson 82-76.




















