2026 March madness: Dates, Locations, and Schedule for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments
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The road to crowning college basketball champions in 2026 is officially mapped out, with Selection Sunday set for March 15th and culminating in championship games in early April. Both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I tournaments will feature 68 teams vying for the ultimate title, with bracket reveals scheduled for primetime television.
Men’s Tournament: Key Dates and Broadcast Information
The 2026 men’s tournament bracket will be unveiled at 6 p.m.Eastern Time on CBS, setting the stage for a month of thrilling competition. Here’s a complete schedule:
- Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on CBS
- First four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, march 18
- First Round: Thursday, March 19 and friday, march 20
- second Round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
- Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
- Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
- Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in indianapolis, Indiana
- NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Men’s Tournament First & Second Round Sites
- First/Second Rounds: Tampa, FL (Benchmark International Arena, March 20-22)
- First/Second rounds: philadelphia, PA (Xfinity Mobile Arena, March 20-22)
- First/Second Rounds: San Diego, CA (Old Sand, March 20-22)
- First/Second Rounds: st. Louis,MO (Enterprise Center,March 20-22)
- south Regional: Houston,TX (Toyota Center,March 26-28)
- West Regional: San Jose,CA (SAP Center,march 26-28)
- Midwest Regional: Chicago,IL (United Center,March 27-29)
- East Regional: Washington D.C. (Capital One Arena, March 27-29)
Women’s Tournament: Schedule and Key Dates
The women’s tournament will follow a similar timeline, with Selection Sunday taking place at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN. The schedule is as follows:
- Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on ESPN
- First Four: Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19
- First Round: Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21
- Second Round: Sunday, March 22 and Monday, March 23
- sweet 16: Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28
- Elite Eight: Sunday, March 29 and Monday, March 30
- Final Four: Friday, April 3 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona
- NCAA Championship Game: Sunday, April 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona
Women’s Tournament Regional Sites
The Sweet 16 and Elite eight rounds of the women’s tournament will be held in two locations:
- Sweet 16/elite Eight: Fort Worth, TX (Dickies Arena, March 27-30)
- Sweet 16/Elite Eight: Sacramento, CA (Golden 1 Center, March 27-30)
With the schedules now finalized, anticipation builds for the 2026 March Madness tournaments, promising a captivating display of athleticism and competition for college basketball fans across the nation.
