Here's the men's 2026 March Madness bracket: Matchups, schedule and more
Mar 15, 2026
The madness is coming.
Selection Sunday on March 15 revealed the 68 teams that will compete in the men’s NCAA Tournament, beginning with the First Four.
Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida claimed the No. 1 seeds in the four regions, while 31-1 Miami (OH) will have to fight through an extra
game to play in the first round.
Here’s everything to know for the men’s bracket, including matchups and dates:
What are the men’s 2026 March Madness matchups?
Here’s a region-by-region breakdown of the matchups and seedings:
EAST
1 Duke vs. 16 Siena
8 Ohio State vs. 9 TCU
5 St. John’s vs. 12 Northern Iowa
4 Kansas vs. 13 Cal Baptist
6 Louisville vs. 11 South Florida
3 Michigan State vs. 14 North Dakota State
7 UCLA vs. 10 UCF
2 UConn vs. 15 Furman
WEST
1 Arizona vs. 16 Long Island
8 Villanova vs. 9 Utah State
5 Wisconsin vs. 12 High Point
4 Arkansas vs. 13 Hawai’i
6 BYU vs. 11 Texas/NC State
3 Gonzaga vs. 14 Kennesaw State
7 Miami (FL) vs. 10 Missouri
2 Purdue vs. 15 Queens (NC)
MORE MARCH MADNESS COVERAGE
March Madness
Mar 18, 2025
Has there ever been a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket?
March Madness
Mar 17, 2025
How ‘March Madness' got its name
March Madness
Mar 4
NCAA Tournament auto bids: Tracking the conference tournament winners in 2026
MIDWEST
1 Michigan vs. 16 UMBC/Howard
8 Georgia vs. 9 Saint Louis
5 Texas Tech vs. 12 Akron
4 Alabama vs. 13 Hofstra
6 Tennessee vs. 11 Miami (OH)/SMU
3 Virginia vs. 14 Wright State
7 Kentucky vs. 10 Santa Clara
2 Iowa State vs. 15 Tennessee State
SOUTH
1 Florida vs. 16 Prairie View AM/Lehigh
8 Clemson vs. 9 Iowa
5 Vanderbilt vs. 12 McNeese
4 Nebraska vs. 13 Troy
6 UNC vs. 11 VCU
3 Illinois vs. 14 Penn
7 Saint Mary’s vs. 10 Texas AM
2 Houston vs. 15 Idaho
var pymParent = new pym.Parent('bracketm', 'https://visuals.otsops.com/projects/ncaa-bracket-2026/index.html?t=m', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''});
When do the men’s 2026 March Madness games start?
The First Four teams will battle on March 17-18 before the first round gets underway from March 19-20.
What is the men’s 2026 March Madness schedule?
Here are the dates to know for when games will take place:
First Four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
First round: Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
...read more
read less