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For college basketball fans, March Madness is the best time of the year. It is a three-week marathon of buzzer-beaters, bracket-busters, and the kind of high-stakes drama that only a single-elimination tournament can provide.
But while the rest of the nation prepares to fill out their brackets, the madness has already arrived in full force at the mid-major level. The Mid-American Conference has provided an early masterclass in postseason chaos, headlined by UMass’s stunning quarterfinal upset of a previously undefeated Miami (OH) squad.
STREAM: Watch every NCAA Tournament game via DIRECTV, which offers a free trail
As the blue bloods and power conferences finalize their resumes for Selection Sunday, the "Big Dance" is already in high gear for those fighting to keep their seasons alive on the hardwood.
Here's when March Madness officially starts and the schedule all college basketball fans will be following come Sunday.
SN AWARDS: All-America team | Boozer Player of the Year | Lloyd Coach of the Year
When does March Madness start?
The NCAA Tournament begins with the First Four on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. While the tournament was historically 64 teams, the NCAA introduced the First Four in 2011, expanding the field to 68. These opening games always take place at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, and feature two matchups between 16-seeds fighting for a spot in the main bracket, alongside two matchups between the "Last Four In"—typically 10, 11, or 12-seeds.
The first round begins Thursday, March 19, once the field is finalized on Wednesday night, officially starting the three-week sprint toward the national championship in Indianapolis.
| Round | Date |
| First Four | March 17–18 |
| Round 1 | March 19–20 |
| Round 2 | March 21–22 |
| Sweet 16 | March 26–27 |
| Elite Eight | March 28–29 |
| Final Four | April 4 |
| National Championship | April 6 |
MORE: Sporting News 2026 College Basketball All-America team
NCAA Tournament schedule 2026
The 2026 NCAA Tournament will be aired across four channels: TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. For the Final Four and beyond, games will air exclusively on TBS.
Games on TruTV, TNT and TBS can be streamed on DirecTV.
Selection Sunday
Sunday, March 16
First Four
Tuesday, March 17
| No. 16 (TEAM) vs. No. 16 (TEAM) | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV |
| No. (seed) (TEAM) vs. No. (seed) (TEAM) | 9:10 p.m. | TruTV |
Wednesday, March 18
| No. 16 (TEAM) vs. No. 16 (TEAM) | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV |
| No. (seed) (TEAM) vs. No. (seed) (TEAM) | 9:10 p.m. | TruTV |
Round 1
Thursday, March 19
| TBD vs. TBD | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 12:40 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 1:30 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 3:10 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4:30 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6:50 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:25 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:35 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:20 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:55 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 10:05 p.m. | truTV |
Friday, March 20
| TBD vs. TBD | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 12:40 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 1:45 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 3:10 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4:15 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4:30 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6:50 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:25 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:35 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:20 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:55 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 10:05 p.m. | truTV |
Round 2
Saturday, March 21
| TBD vs. TBD | Noon | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 5 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. |
Sunday, March 22
| TBD vs. TBD | Noon | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 5 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. |
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:45 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
Friday, March 27
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:45 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | TBS |
Sunday, March 29
| TBD vs. TBD | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4:55 p.m. | CBS |
Final Four
Saturday, April 4
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | TBS |
National championship
Monday, April 6
| TBD vs. TBD | 9 p.m. | TBS |
Odds to win March Madness 2026
Leading the charge for the NCAA Tournament favorites are the Duke Blue Devils, who are led by presumptive National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer. Behind them are the Michigan Wolverines, Arizona Wildcats and the defending national champions, Florida Gators.
Here are the top 10 favorites to be the final team standing, per DraftKings SportsBook:
- Duke (+330)
- Michigan (+340)
- Arizona (+450)
- Florida (+650)
- Houston (+1200)
- Illinois (+1700)
- UConn (+1800)
- Iowa State (+2200)
- Kansas (+3500)
- Michigan State (+4000)
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