March Madness Schedule 2026

The 2026 March Madness® schedule is now filled in through the Second Round — and apologies if your bracket is already busted. The four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament are still alive: Duke, the top seed in the East Region, Michigan (Midwest Region), Arizona (West Region), and reigning champ Florida (South Region).

March Madness® itself needs little introduction. Every March, the tournament transforms college hoops into a national spectacle, where buzzer beaters become instant classics, and underdogs rewrite the bracket in real time. From the First Four to the Final Four®, every possession carries championship weight. Before it’s over, a total of 67 games will be played by 68 teams.

You can watch the games on CBS and Turner networks (TBS, TNT, and truTV). CBS Sports will present marquee matchups all the way up to the Elite Eight®. For streaming viewers, Paramount+ offers live access to CBS games to subscribers with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

Read on for the full 2026 March Madness® schedule.

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March Madness® 2026 round-by-round schedule

Below is the complete March Madness® 2026 schedule, round by round. Check back for updates on times and channel assignments.

First Four

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Teams: 16 UMBD vs. 16 Howard
Location: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
Time: 6:40 PM ET
Channel: truTV

Teams: 11 NC State vs. 11 Texas
Location: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
Time: 9:15 PM ET
Channel: truTV

Wednesday. March 18, 2026

Teams: 16 Prairie View vs. Lehigh
Location: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
Time: 6:40 PM ET
Channel: truTV

Teams: 11 SMU vs. 11 Miami (OH)
Location: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
Time: 9:15 PM ET
Channel: truTV

First Round

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Teams: 8 Ohio State vs. 9 TCU
Time: 12:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Nebraska vs. 13 Troy
Time: 12:40 PM
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 6 Louisville vs. 11 South Florida
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Region: East
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 5 Wisconsin vs. 12 High Point
Time: 1:50 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 1 Duke vs. 16 Siena
Time: 2:50 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 5 Vanderbilt vs. 12 McNeese
Time: 3:15 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 3 Michigan State vs. 14 North Dakota State
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Region: East
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 4 Arkansas vs. 13 Hawai’i
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 6 North Carolina vs. 11 VCU
Time: 6:50 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 1 Michigan vs. 16 Howard
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 6 BYU vs. 11 Texas
Time: 7:25 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 7 Saint Mary’s vs. 10 Texas A&M
Time: 7:35 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 3 Illinois vs. 14 Pennsylvania
Time: 9:25 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 8 Georgia vs. 9 Saint Louis
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 3 Gonzaga vs. 14 Kennesaw State
Time: 10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 2 Houston vs. 15 Idaho
Time: 10:10 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: truTV

Friday, March 20, 2026

Teams: 7 Kentucky vs. 10 Santa Clara
Time: 12:15 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 5 Texas Tech vs. 12 Akron
Time: 12:40 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 1 Arizona vs. 16 Long Island University
Time: 1:35 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 3 Virginia vs. 14 Wright State
Time: 1:50 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 2 Iowa State vs. 15 Tennessee State
Time: 2:50 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Alabama vs. 13 Hofstra
Time: 3:15 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 8 Villanova vs. 9 Utah State
Time: 4:10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 6 Tennessee vs. 11 Miami (OH)
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 8 Clemson vs. 9 Iowa
Time: 6:50 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 5 St. John’s vs. 12 Northern Iowa
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 7 UCLA vs. 10 UCF
Time: 7:25 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 2 Purdue vs. 15 Queens University
Time: 7:35 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 1 Florida vs. 16 Prairie View A&M
Time: 9:25 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 4 Kansas vs. 13 California Baptist
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 2 UConn vs. 15 Furman
Time: 10 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 7 Miami vs. 10 Missouri
Time: 10:10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: truTV

Second Round

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Teams: 1 Michigan vs. 9 Saint Louis
Time: 12:10 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 3 Michigan State vs. 6 Louisville
Time: 2:45 PM ET
Region: East
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 1 Duke vs. 9 TCU
Time: 5:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 2 Houston vs. 10 Texas A&M
Time: 6:10 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 3 Gonzaga vs. 11 Texas
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU
Time: 7:50 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Nebraska vs. 5 Vanderbilt
Time: 8:45 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 4 Arkansas vs. 12 High Point
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
Channel: TBS

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Teams: 2 Purdue vs. 7 Miami
Time: 12:10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 2 Iowa State vs. 7 Kentucky
Time: 2:45 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Kansas vs. 5 St. John’s
Time: 5:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 3 Virginia vs. 6 Tennessee
Time: 6:10 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 1 Florida vs. 9 Iowa
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: TBS

Teams: 1 Arizona vs. 9 Utah State
Time: 7:50 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: truTV

Teams: 2 UConn vs. 7 UCLA
Time: 8:45 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Channel: TNT

Teams: 4 Alabama vs. 5 Texas Tech
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida)
Channel: TBS

Sweet 16

Dates: March 26-27, 2026

Elite Eight®

Dates: March 28-29, 2026

Final Four®

Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026

National Championship

Date: Monday, April 6, 2026

What to know about the March Madness® schedule

Each stage of the March Madness® schedule narrows the field:

the First and Second Rounds reduce the tourney’s 64 teams to 16;
the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight® rounds determine the Final Four® participants;
the Final Four® games determine the two teams that’ll compete in the National Championship game.

How to watch and stream March Madness® 2026

March Madness® games air across multiple broadcast partners, including CBS.

Watching on TV

Select games from the First Round to Elite Eight® air live on CBS.

Streaming Options

If you’re looking to stream March Madness® live, keep in mind that Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ Premium plan can stream the CBS games live.

To stream CBS games live via Paramount+:

Sign up for Paramount+. (CC required. T&C apply.)
Select the Premium plan for live CBS access. Visit the Paramount+ Help Center for details on plans and pricing.
Navigate to the Live TV section during scheduled games.

For more info, get our guide to watching and streaming March Madness®.

When is the Final Four® 2026?

The men’s Final Four® takes place on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. TBS will broadcast the games, two in all. The semifinal contests determine which schools advance to the championship.

When is the 2026 National Championship Game?

The men’s National Championship Game will be played at 8:30 PM ET, on Monday, April 6, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. TBS will broadcast the game.

This game decides the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball champion. By this stage, the bracket has been reduced from 68 total teams to two, and every possession carries championship weight.

Where is the Final Four® 2026 being played?

The Final Four® is being played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, April 4, 2026.

Indianapolis has long been associated with college basketball history, making it a fitting host city for championship weekend. The venue will host the two national semifinal games (aka the Final Four®) on Saturday, April 4, 2026, and the National Championship on Monday, April 6, 2026.

When did March Madness® 2026 start?

March Madness® games started March 17-March 18, 2026, with the first First Four play-in games. After, the bracket’s final 64 spots were set, and the free-for-all began with First Round action on March 19-March 20, 2026.