NCAA March Madness bracket projections: Travel distance from host sites, according to Andy Katz

The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins with Selection Sunday followed by the First Four on March 17-18. The main tournament runs from March 19 through the Final Four on April 4-6 in Indianapolis, showcasing 68 teams in a single-elimination format. 

With the NCAA's Andy Katz projecting the top 68 teams, here's the estimated distance from the host site to the teams in the bracket. 

Note: These are not final and are subject to change. The field of 68 brackets will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET. Here are the distances from the host sites based on Katz's projections.  

East- Washington DC 

1. Duke- 260 miles 

2. UConn- 365 miles 

3. Purdue- 642 miles 

4. Kansas- 1090 miles 

5. Arkansas- 1080 miles

6. North Carolina- 271 miles

7. Miami- 1,050 miles

8. Georgia- 594 miles

9. Iowa- 1,008 miles

10. UCF- 846 miles 

11. Missouri- 827 miles or Miami OH- 519 miles  

12. Yale- 308 miles 

13. Hawaii- 4,772 miles

14. North Dakota State- 1,351 miles

15. Siena- 371 miles 

16. Queens- 403 miles

South- Houston

1. Florida- 875 miles  

2. Houston- 3 miles 

3. Illinois- 942 miles

4. Nebraska- 830 miles

5. Texas Tech- 519 miles

6. Louisville- 946 miles

7. UCLA- 1,546 miles

8. Ohio State- 1,150 miles

9. TCU- 263 miles

10. Saint Louis- 720 miles

11. USF- 946 miles 

12. High Point- 1,032 miles

13. Cal Baptist- 1,503 miles

14. Wright State- 1,054 miles

15. Idaho- 1,777

16. Lehigh- 1,115 miles or Prairie View A&M- 47 miles

Midwest- Chicago

1. Michigan- 243 miles

2. Iowa State- 343 miles

3. Virginia- 675 miles

4. Alabama- 679 miles

5. St. John's- 795 miles 

6. Tennessee- 542 miles

7. Kentucky- 374 miles

8 Villanova- 749 miles 

9. NC State- 778 miles

10. Santa Clara- 2,166 miles

11. VCU- 675 miles

12. Akron- 367 miles

13. Hofstra- 818 miles

14. Troy- 766 miles

15. Tennessee State- 473 miles 

16. LIU- 805 miles or Howard- 691 miles

West- San Jose

1. Arizona- 720 miles

2. Michigan State- 2,433 miles

3. Gonzaga- 900 miles 

4. Vanderbilt- 2,261 miles

5. Wisconsin- 2,110 miles

6. BYU- 802 miles

7. Clemson-2,545 miles

8. Saint Mary's- 56 miles

9. Utah State- 797 miles

10. Texas A&M- 1,821 miles

11. Texas- 1,481 miles or SMU- 1,681 miles

12. McNeese- 2,398 miles

13. Northern Iowa- 1,945 miles

14. Kennesaw State 2,170 miles

15. Furman- 2,504 miles

16. UMBC- 2,438 miles

2026 NCAA Tournament key dates

Selection Sunday: March 15 (Bracket revealed at 6 p.m. ET)
First Four (Dayton, OH): March 17–18
First/Second Rounds: March 19–22
Regional Rounds: March 26–29
Final Four (Indianapolis, IN): April 4 & 6

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