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The First Four games marked the official start of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, but college basketball fans know that March Madness isn't in full swing until they can sit down and watch an entire day of action.
Thursday's slate will feature 16 games, beginning with No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU in the afternoon and concluding with No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho in the evening. No. 1 seeds Duke and Michigan will also hit the court and take on Siena and Howard, respectively.
Here is everything you need to know about the first round of the NCAA Tournament, including TV and streaming options for Thursday's March Madness games.
March Madness schedule today
Thursday, March 19
| No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU | 12:15 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy | 12:40 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida | 1:30 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point | 1:50 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena | 2:50 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese | 3:15 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State | 4:05 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii | 4:25 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard | 7:10 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas | 7:25 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Texas A&M | 7:35 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn | 9:25 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis | 9:45 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State | 10 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho | 10:10 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
March Madness bracket 2026
You can download Sporting News' printable NCAA Tournament bracket (PDF) by clicking here.
How to watch 2026 March Madness games: TV channels, live streams
- TV channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
- Live streams: DIRECTV, Fubo, Paramount+
NCAA Tournament games will air on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Viewers can also stream March Madness games on DIRECTV (CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV), Fubo (CBS) and Paramount+ (CBS).
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| Round | TV channel | Live stream |
| First Four | truTV | DIRECTV |
| First Round | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV | DIRECTV, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Second Round | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV | DIRECTV, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Sweet 16 | CBS, TBS, truTV | DIRECTV, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Elite Eight | CBS, TBS, truTV | DIRECTV, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Final Four | TBS, truTV | DIRECTV |
| Championship | TBS, truTV | DIRECTV |
How to listen to NCAA Tournament games on the radio
- Radio station: SiriusXM
You can listen to NCAA Tournament games live on SiriusXM. Channels for games are listed below.
New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.
Thursday, March 19
| No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU | 12:15 p.m. | 201 |
| No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy | 12:40 p.m. | 202 |
| No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida | 1:30 p.m. | 203 |
| No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point | 1:50 p.m. | 204 |
| No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena | 2:50 p.m. | 201 |
| No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese | 3:15 p.m. | 202 |
| No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State | 4:05 p.m. | 203 |
| No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii | 4:25 p.m. | 204 |
| No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU | 6:50 p.m. | 201 |
| No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard | 7:10 p.m. | 203 |
| No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas | 7:25 p.m. | 204 |
| No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Texas A&M | 7:35 p.m. | 202 |
| No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn | 9:25 p.m. | 201 |
| No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis | 9:45 p.m. | 203 |
| No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State | 10 p.m. | 204 |
| No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho | 10:10 p.m. | 202 |
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