The 2026 March Madness begins on March 17 with the First Four games in Dayton. The opening matchups officially kick off the road to the national championship and mark the start of one of the most anticipated events.

Organized by the NCAA, the tournament once again features 68 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket. After the First Four trims the field, the action quickly expands across the country with the First Round and Second Round games.

From there, the competition moves through the regional rounds before the remaining teams advance to the Final Four, with iconic arenas hosting games across several U.S. cities and the bracket drawing national attention.

2026 March Madness schedule

The 2026 March Madness schedule begins with the First Four on March 17–18 and runs through the national championship on April 6. It follows the traditional single-elimination format with teams competing across several rounds until a champion is crowned.

A detail view of NCAA March Madness and Wilson logos in 2026 (Source: Melina Pizano/Getty Images)

The action starts with the First Four, where eight teams compete for the final four spots in the bracket. After that, the tournament expands into the full 64-team field with games played across multiple arenas in the United States.

Each round gradually narrows the field until only four teams remain to compete for the national title during the Final Four weekend. Here is the round-by-round schedule for the 2026 tournament:
  • First Four: March 17–18
  • First Round (Round of 64): March 19–20
  • Second Round (Round of 32): March 21–22
  • Sweet 16: March 26–27
  • Elite Eight: March 28–29
  • Final Four: April 4
  • National Championship: April 6

2026 March Madness dates

Tuesday, March 17 (First Four)

  • UMBC vs. Howard — 6:40 p.m. ET
  • Texas vs. North Carolina State — 9:15 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 18 (First Four)

  • Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh — 6:40 p.m. ET
  • Miami (Ohio) vs. Southern Methodist — 9:10 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 19 (First round)

  • Ohio State vs. TCU — 12:15 p.m. ET
  • Nebraska vs. Troy — 12:40 p.m. ET
  • Louisville vs. South Florida — 1:30 p.m. ET
  • Wisconsin vs. High Point — 1:50 p.m. ET
  • Duke vs. Siena — 2:50 p.m. ET
  • Vanderbilt vs. McNeese — 3:15 p.m. ET
  • Michigan State vs. North Dakota State — 4:05 p.m. ET
  • Arkansas vs. Hawai’i — 4:25 p.m. ET
  • North Carolina vs. VCU — 6:50 p.m. ET
  • Michigan vs. UMBC/Howard — 7:10 p.m. ET
  • BYU vs. Texas/North Carolina State — 7:25 p.m. ET
  • Saint Mary’s vs. Texas A&M — 7:35 p.m. ET
  • Illinois vs. Penn — 9:25 p.m. ET
  • Georgia vs. Saint Louis — 9:45 p.m. ET
  • Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State — 10:00 p.m. ET
  • Houston vs. Idaho — 10:10 p.m. ET

Friday, March 20 (First round)

  • Kentucky vs. Santa Clara — 12:15 p.m. ET
  • Texas Tech vs. Akron — 12:40 p.m. ET
  • Arizona vs. LIU — 1:35 p.m. ET
  • Virginia vs. Wright State — 1:50 p.m. ET
  • Iowa State vs. Tennessee State — 2:50 p.m. ET
  • Alabama vs. Hofstra — 3:15 p.m. ET
  • Villanova vs. Utah State — 4:10 p.m. ET
  • Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio)/SMU — 4:25 p.m. ET
  • Clemson vs. Iowa — 6:50 p.m. ET
  • St. John’s vs. Northern Iowa — 7:10 p.m. ET
  • UCLA vs. Central Florida — 7:25 p.m. ET
  • Purdue vs. Queens — 7:35 p.m. ET
  • Florida vs. Prairie View A&M/Lehigh — 9:25 p.m. ET
  • Kansas vs. Cal Baptist — 9:45 p.m. ET
  • UConn vs. Furman — 10:00 p.m. ET
  • Miami vs. Missouri — 10:10 p.m. ET

*The list will be updated as more information becomes available.

2026 March Madness bracket

The 2026 March Madness bracket features 68 teams competing in a single-elimination format across four regions. The bracket is unveiled on Selection Sunday and divides teams into seeded matchups that determine the tournament path to the championship.

2026 March Madness locations

The 2026 NCAA Tournament will be played across multiple U.S. cities, culminating with the Final Four in Indiana. Each round is hosted at different arenas before the final weekend brings the remaining teams together at a single venue.

First Four

  • Dayton, Ohio — UD Arena

First and Second Round host cities

  • Buffalo, New York — KeyBank Center
  • Greenville, South Carolina — Bon Secours Wellness Arena
  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — Paycom Center
  • Portland, Oregon — Moda Center
  • Tampa, Florida — Benchmark International Arena
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Xfinity Mobile Arena
  • San Diego, California — Viejas Arena
  • St. Louis, Missouri — Enterprise Center
  • Regional rounds (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight)
  • Houston, Texas — Toyota Center
  • San Jose, California — SAP Center
  • Chicago, Illinois — United Center
  • Washington, D.C. — Capital One Arena

Final Four and National Championship

  • Indianapolis, Indiana — Lucas Oil Stadium