When is March Madness 2026? Dates, TV schedule, locations, odds and more for NCAA Tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
March has arrived, meaning one sport is on nearly every sports fan’s mind: college basketball. The 2026 NCAA Tournament is on the horizon, as Selection Sunday is quickly approaching while the regular season and conference tournaments wind down.
Advertisement
There will be plenty of contenders for this year’s tournament title. Michigan, Duke and Arizona all figure to challenge Florida’s defending throne, but the Gators will once again be in the mix. And of course, there remains the possibility of a Cinderella run through March Madness.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament, including key dates, the complete schedule and championship odds.
MORE: The Sporting News’ latest March Madness bracket predictions
March Madness bracket 2026
The March Madness bracket will be set on March 15 during the Selection Sunday show on CBS.
Advertisement
Automatic bids will go to 31 conference champions. At-large bids will go to 37 other teams and fill out the remainder of the tournament field.
NCAA Tournament schedule 2026
-
Start date: Tuesday, March 17 (First Four)
-
End date: Monday, April 6 (national championship)
The 2026 NCAA Tournament consists of the First Four, first round, second round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship game.
The tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 17, with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. The first round is then set to begin by March 19, and by Saturday, April 4, the Final Four will be underway at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
That will all set the stage for the championship matchup, which will be on Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Advertisement
Here is the full schedule for March Madness 2026:
|
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 |
DECOURCY: Why expanding the NCAA field is pointless
March Madness schedule 2026
The full slate of March Madness games will be set when the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.
How to watch March Madness games in 2026
CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV will split the duty of broadcasting the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
|
Round |
TV channel |
|
First Four |
truTV |
|
Round 1 |
TBA |
|
Round 2 |
TBA |
|
Sweet 16 |
TBA |
|
Elite Eight |
TBA |
|
Final Four |
TBS |
|
National championship |
TBS |
The 2026 NCAA Tournament can be streamed via NCAA March Madness Live.
Odds to win March Madness 2025
Here are the teams with the best odds to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament via DraftKings (as of Thursday, March 5):
NCAA Tournament winners
In 2025, Todd Golden’s Florida squad took down Houston for the national title, 65-63, for its third title in program history and first since 2007. The year prior, in 2024, UConn won its second consecutive national title with a 75-60 victory over Purdue, securing its sixth championship in program history and second under coach Dan Hurley.
Advertisement
UCLA leads with 11 all-time national championships, followed by Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6) UConn (6) Duke (5) and Indiana (5).
|
School |
National titles |
Most recent |
|
UCLA |
11 |
1995 |
|
Kentucky |
8 |
2012 |
|
North Carolina |
6 |
2017 |
|
Connecticut |
6 |
2024 |
|
Duke |
5 |
2015 |
|
Indiana |
5 |
1987 |
|
Kansas |
4 |
2022 |
|
Villanova |
3 |
2018 |
|
Florida |
3 |
2025 |
|
Cincinnati |
2 |
1962 |
|
Louisville |
2 |
1986 |
|
Michigan State |
2 |
2000 |
|
N.C. State |
2 |
1983 |
|
Oklahoma State |
2 |
1946 |
|
San Francisco |
2 |
1956 |
|
Arizona |
1 |
1997 |
|
Arkansas |
1 |
1994 |
|
Baylor |
1 |
2021 |
|
California |
1 |
1959 |
|
City College of New York |
1 |
1950 |
|
Georgetown |
1 |
1984 |
|
Holy Cross |
1 |
1947 |
|
La Salle |
1 |
1954 |
|
Loyola Chicago |
1 |
1963 |
|
Marquette |
1 |
1977 |
|
Maryland |
1 |
2002 |
|
Michigan |
1 |
1989 |
|
Ohio State |
1 |
1960 |
|
Oregon |
1 |
1939 |
|
UNLV |
1 |
1990 |
|
Stanford |
1 |
1942 |
|
Syracuse |
1 |
2003 |
|
UTEP |
1 |
1966 |
|
Utah |
1 |
1944 |
|
Virginia |
1 |
2019 |
|
Wisconsin |
1 |
1941 |
|
Wyoming |
1 |
1943 |
