The college basketball regular season is coming to an end, which means we’re heading into another March of Cinderella stories and busted brackets. On Sunday, March 15, we’ll find out which 68 teams will battle through a single-elimination bracket for a shot at cutting down the nets.
Whether you’re filling out a bracket for fun, watching every game religiously, or even attending a game in person, here is everything you need to know about the March Madness tournament:
When is March Madness 2026?
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The 2026 March Madness tournament will kick off after the 68-team bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday, which lands on Sunday, March 15 this year. The tournament will continue through March, ending with the Final Four on Saturday, April 4 and the National Championship game on Monday, April 6.
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Where is the March Madness tournament being held this year?
Depending on the round, the 2026 March Madness has different host sites. However, Indianapolis is the main host for the men’s tournament, hosting the Final Four and the National Championship. Here’s a look at the men’s tournament locations:
- First Four: UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio – Shop tickets now
- First & Second Rounds: Buffalo, N.Y., Greenville, S.C., Oklahoma City, Portland, Ore., Tampa, Fla., Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis.
- Sweet 16 & Elite 8: Houston, San Jose, Calif., Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
- Final Four & National Championship: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis – Shop tickets now
The women’s tournament is organized slightly differently, where teams act as host sites until the Sweet 16. The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. will host the Final Four and National Championship game.
Shop women’s March Madness Final Four tickets
When is Selection Sunday for March Madness?
March Madness will get started with the Selection Show, which takes place on Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET. You can watch Selection Sunday on CBS, or stream it free with Fubo. Selection Sunday for the women’s tournament will immediately follow at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. You can stream the women’s bracket reveal on Fubo, or with a Sling 1-day pass for just $4.99.
March Madness 2026 full schedule for the men’s tournament
- March 17-18: First Four
- March 19-20: First round
- March 21-22: Second round
- March 26-27: Sweet 16
- March 28-29: Elite 8
- April 4-5: Final Four
- April 6: National Championship
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March Madness 2026 full schedule for the women’s tournament
- Sunday, March 15: Selection Sunday
- March 18-19: First Four
- March 20-21: First round
- March 22-23: Second round
- March 27-30: Fort Worth regional
- March 27-30: Sacramento regional
- April 3: Final Four
- April 5: National Championship
Shop 2026 women’s Final Four tickets
How to watch the most March Madness games
March Madness games tend to air across TNT, TruTV, TBS, and CBS. Without cable, you will need a subscription to watch March Madness games. Sling carries TNT, TBS and TruTV in the Sling Blue package, which is the USA TODAY Shopping recommendation to watch the most games throughout the tournament. If you’re also interested in the women’s tournament, that usually airs entirely on the ESPN suite, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews. You can get all of those channels with the Sling Sports Extra add-on to your Sling Blue package.
Watch March Madness games live with Sling Blue
Watch March Madness games on TBS, TNT and TruTV with Sling
Watch more live sports like a large majority of the men’s March Madness tournament on Sling Blue.
Live stream March Madness CBS games with Sling
Live stream CBS March Madness games on Paramount+ or Fubo
Watch March Madness games on CBS
Select games will air on CBS, you can stream those on Paramount+ or with Fubo.
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Watch March Madness CBS games with Fubo
Can you buy March Madness tickets already?
Yes. Tickets are available now on StubHub. But, all we know right now is when games are taking place, and where. It will be a mad dash for tickets from the bracket reveal to post-game when the next round and opponent are confirmed.
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Where to stay for March Madness
You always have options when you travel, one of them being where you stay. This will depend on which city you’re heading to, maybe you’ll want to be in the mix of things in downtown near the arena, or maybe in a less urban space in one of those smaller college towns (looking at you, Greenville). The USA TODAY Shopping team has curated some hotel options for you, depending on where you’re headed.
Where to stay in Dayton, Ohio for March Madness
Dayton, Ohio is going to host the first two games of the March Madness tournament, on March 17 and March 18. These two games are known as the ‘first four’—the first four games in the March Madness bracket, which are play-in games for the at-large bid teams and the No. 16-seeded teams. We won’t know the teams or the matchups until the bracket is revealed.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in Dayton
Where to stay in Buffalo, N.Y. for March Madness
Buffalo is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at KeyBank Center, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in Buffalo
Where to stay in Greenville, S.C. for March Madness
Greenville, S.C. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in Greenville
Where to stay in Oklahoma City for March Madness
Oklahoma City is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Paycom Center, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel in Oklahoma City
Where to stay in Portland, Ore. for March Madness
Portland, Ore. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Moda Center, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in Portland
Where to stay in Tampa, Fla. for March Madness
Tampa, Fla. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Benchmark International Arena, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel in Tampa
Where to stay in Philadelphia for March Madness
Philadelphia is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Xfinity Mobile Arena, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in Philadelphia
Where to stay in San Diego for March Madness?
San Diego is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Viejas Arena, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in San Diego
Where to stay in St. Louis for March Madness?
St. Louis is one of the host sites for the first and second round. Games will be played at Enterprise, Arena, but those matchups have not been announced yet.
Find a hotel close to the stadium in St. Louis
Shop March Madness gear at Fanatics
The official gear that players will wear on the court and off the bench is already available at Fanatics, including the Nike Lock It In shirts and the Adidas Legacy on Lock shirts. Here’s a look at those collections:
Nike ‘Lock It In’ 2026 March Madness bench gear
Duke Blue Devils Nike 2026 On-Court Bench T-Shirt
Match what the players on the bench will wear during the 2026 NCAA Basketball season with this Duke Blue Devils On-Court Bench T-Shirt from Nike.
Shop now at Fanatics
Adidas ‘Legacy on Lock’ 2026 March Madness gear
Texas Tech Red Raiders adidas Legacy On Lock Pregame Long Sleeve T-Shirt
This Legacy On Lock Pregame t-shirt is the same on-court style worn by Texas Tech Red Raiders players, coaches and team staff.
Shop now at Fanatics
Shop all March Madness gear at Fanatics
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 March Madness tournaments