NCAA TOURNAMENT 2026

MARCH MADNESS

2 0 2 6

68 teams. 67 games. One champion. The most exciting tournament in college basketball is back — and it's crazier than ever.

Published: March 17, 2026
NCAA March Madness 2026 basketball court

Photo: Getty ImagesNCAA March Madness 2026 basketball court

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL FOUR

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis — April 4, 2026

THE #1 SEEDS

The four powerhouses leading each region of the bracket

#1
Duke
East Region
#1
Arizona
West Region
#1
Michigan
Midwest Region
#1
Florida
South Region

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

First Four

Mar 17-18

4 games

Round of 64

Mar 19-20

32 games

Round of 32

Mar 21-22

16 games

Sweet 16

Mar 27-28

8 games

Elite 8

Mar 29-30

4 games

Final Four

Apr 4

2 games

Championship

Apr 6

1 game

THE BRACKET

Four regions converge at the Final Four in Indianapolis

REGION
EAST
(1) Duke vs (16)
FINAL FOUR
Indianapolis
REGION
WEST
(1) Arizona vs (16)
REGION
MIDWEST
(1) Michigan vs (16)
REGION
SOUTH
(1) Florida vs (16)

DARK HORSES & CINDERELLAS

The teams most likely to pull off stunning upsets this tournament

NCAA arena packed with fans

Photo: Getty ImagesNCAA arena packed with passionate fans

Gonzaga#5

Deep tournament experience and a loaded roster returning key players

St. Mary's#12

Most disciplined team in the WCC, always dangerous in March

Creighton#7

Extremely versatile offense with elite three-point shooting

VCU#11

Full-court pressure defense that makes life miserable for opponents

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cooper Flagg
DukeForward
18.2 PPG
Caleb Love
ArizonaGuard
17.8 PPG
Danny Wolf
MichiganCenter
15.4 PPG
Walter Clayton Jr.
FloridaGuard
16.9 PPG

MARCH MADNESS HISTORY

The most remarkable numbers and moments in tournament history

Basketball closeup shot

Photo: Getty ImagesBasketball closeup shot during a March Madness game

Most Championships

UCLA11
Kentucky8
North Carolina6
Duke5

Biggest Upsets

#16 UMBC vs #1 Virginia (2018)74-54
#15 FDU vs #1 Purdue (2023)63-58
#15 Norfolk St. vs #2 Missouri (2012)86-84
#11 Loyola Chicago (2018)Final Four

Cinderella Stories

#11 George Mason (2006)Final Four
#8 Villanova (1985)Champion!
#9 Wichita State (2013)Final Four
#15 St. Peter's (2022)Elite 8

HOW TO WATCH

Cable TV

CBS / TBS / TNT / truTV

Every game broadcast across CBS and Turner networks

Free App

March Madness Live

Free app streaming every game live with TV provider login

Streaming

Paramount+ / Max

Stream live on Paramount+ (CBS games) and Max (TNT/TBS/truTV games)

PRO TIP

Use the "Boss Button" on March Madness Live to quickly switch to a fake spreadsheet when your boss walks by!

ODDS & PREDICTIONS

Latest championship odds from top sportsbooks

CHAMPIONSHIP ODDSUpdated: March 2026
1Duke+35022%
2Arizona+50017%
3Michigan+60014%
4Florida+80011%
5Houston+10009%
6Gonzaga+14007%
7Tennessee+16006%
8UConn+20005%

* Odds are for informational purposes only. Please gamble responsibly.

BY THE NUMBERS

0
Teams
0
Games Played
0
Venues
0
Final Four Seats
0
Million Brackets
0
Billion $ Wagered

DID YOU KNOW?

The odds of filling out a perfect March Madness bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion (9,223,372,036,854,775,808). Warren Buffett once offered $1 billion for a perfect bracket. If you love sports, also check out the F1 2026 season and the World Baseball Classic 2026.

▸ March Madness 2026 betting is projected at $4.5B -- if you put $50 on a bracket, you're among 67 million Americans playing along.

▸ Final Four tickets are up 35% on average from last year -- expect $800-1,200 for standard seats.

References

  1. NCAA March Madness Official Statistics — NCAA.org
  2. March Madness Economic Impact 2026 — American Gaming Association
  3. Bracket Challenge and Viewership Trends — ESPN Research
  4. College Basketball TV Ratings History — Sports Media Watch
  5. The Perfect Bracket: Odds and Math — FiveThirtyEight / ESPN

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

LB
By Long Bui · Sports Editor
Published: March 17, 2026 · Updated: March 25, 2026
sports·march madness 2026 · NCAA tournament bracket · Duke basketball · Final Four 2026
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