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College basketball fans will discover which 68 teams will be participating in the "Big Dance" when they are announced on Selection Sunday, March 15, 2026 beginning at 6PM ET on CBS. This year's madness kicks off with the First Four games in Dayton on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 (see the 2026 March Madness TV schedule, below). With matches set, the first round begins on Thursday, March 19. The second round kicks off that weekend on Saturday, March 21. As the teams drill down to the favored few, watch for the Sweet Sixteen beginning on Thursday, March 28 and Elite Eight matchups kicking off on Saturday, March 28. Wrapping it all up are the Final Four games on Saturday, April 4 followed by the championship game on Monday, April 6 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Thereafter, the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds will air on TBS and CBS. Watch for the Final Four (Saturday, April 4) and the Championship game (Monday, April 6) to air on TBS this year. Meanwhile, keep it here for complete times and TV channels along with team matchups and final scores for every game of the 2026 Men's NCAA basketball tournament. First Four: March 17-18 Round of 64: March 19-20 Round of 32: March 21-22 Sweet 16: March 26-27 Elite Eight: March 28-29 Final Four: Saturday, April 4, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis National Championship: Monday, April 6, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
The initial scramble for March Madness tickets for the first four, second/third round and regional games begins in late summer or fall of the year before. FINAL FOUR: For the most sought-after finals, the NCAA annually puts about 40% of allotted Final Four tickets up for grabs in a random selection process the year before. The rest are managed by their official partner, Prime Sport. They provide a safe venue for fans to swap or sell tickets for popular final game tickets. Don't forget that as the tournament heats up, prices can range anywhere from $30 and upwards to $15,000! BUT BE CAREFUL OUT THERE: As usual, be wary of the unscrupulous ticket seller on Craig's list or any other person looking to score on the frenzy for March Madness tickets. Say no to cash payments and only use a credit card to have record of your purchase and to contest any argument. Pro Tip: Buy from reputable sites like StubHub and TicketsNow which offer guarantees for refunds or exchanges on ticket errors or canceled games. The phrase “March Madness” was coined by Henry V. Porter in 1939 to describe an Illinois high school basketball tourney. Brent Musburger first used it during NCAA coverage in 1982 causing a legal battle almost as insane as the playoffs. But everyone finally worked things out and the madness was official. There isn't a good record of who first called the playoffs "The Big Dance", but it does describe the action. The 5 schools who have the winningest history in NCAA Division I Men's basketball are:
Although past history is no guarantee in this Cinderella-laced NCAA tournament, number one seeds have won every time in the first round for the past 16 years and number two seeds have only lost three first round games... a 95% win average. What makes the brackets exciting are the number 13 and 14 seeds who came out winners in the first round 20 times since 1992... a sweet 16% that leads to dreams of glory. Watch for them in your brackets. Also look for teams from smaller conferences or those who had a bad start to the season, but got their game on during the last weeks to pull off an invitation. A power player in a slump or on a injury roster can mean a lower seed for a solid team.
NCAA Basketball - CBS Sports - Here's headline reports & predictions, opinion and news, plus the latest scores at a glance and key dates for major games. NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - Wikipedia's excellent overview of March Madness features tons of stats, facts and incredible depth of trivia answers.
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As usual, the First Four rounds will air on truTV. Sharing first and second round coverage will be CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV.
Meanwhile, scoring tickets to local games means getting ready to pounce as venues are announced in March - whether its smaller college arenas, or mega-venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City.
