When is March Madness? Complete schedule, dates for 2026 tournament

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORKWed, February 25, 2026 at 11:03 AM UTC

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While there are still regular-season games and conference tournaments to be played, the March Madness picture for men's college basketball is starting to come into shape.

Strong national championship contenders for the 2026 NCAA Tournament include Duke (led by Cameron Boozer), Arizona (led by Brayden Burries), Michigan (led by Yaxel Lendeborg), Iowa State (led by Milan Momcilovic), Connecticut (led by Solo Ball), Houston (led by Kingston Fleming) and Illinois (led by Keaton Wagler). Reigning national champion Florida has also started to re-enter the mix in recent weeks with a few wins over Alabama and Kentucky.

There are, of course, a handful of teams sitting on the bubble that are hoping to secure a key win (or a few) to change their status from "March Madness maybes" to "March Madness locks" over the next few weeks.

REQUIRED READING: Who is rising, falling in latest March Madness bracket prediction?

The Final Four is set for five weeks from this upcoming Saturday in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, the first time the Final Four is being held in the NFL stadium of the Indianapolis Colts since the COVID-19 bubble tournament in 2021, when Baylor took down Gonzaga.

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Here's what to know on the when March Madness gets underway for men's college basketball:

When is March Madness?

March Madness gets going on Tuesday, March 17 in Dayton, Ohio, at UD Arena with the First Four. The condensed 64-team bracket will then officially get underway with first-round games two days later on Thursday, March 19.

When is Selection Sunday? -

Date: Sunday, March 15

Selection Sunday for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is set for Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET. The unveiling of the 68-team bracket will take place after the conclusion of the Big Ten championship game.

Complete March Madness 2026 schedule

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA men's tournament:

First Four: March 17-18

First round: March 19-20

Second round: March 21-22

Sweet 16: March 26-27

Elite Eight: March 28-29

Final Four: Saturday, April 4 (at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)

National championship game: Monday, April 6 (at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)

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