The NCAA tournament is a math problem that solves itself by subtraction. Every year, we start with a crowd and end with a confetti shower for just one. If you’re staring at a bracket and wondering how many teams left in March Madness are actually still alive, the answer changes faster than a 12-seed’s lead in the final minute.
It starts with 68.
Then 64.
Then the floor falls out.
Right now, in the 2025-26 season, we are currently in the heat of conference play. Selection Sunday is set for March 15, 2026. That means, technically, every single Division I team with a pulse still has a dream. But once that clock hits zero on the First Four in Dayton, the culling begins.
The Shrinking Bracket: How Many Teams Left in March Madness?
Honestly, the "how many" depends entirely on which day of the week you're asking. The NCAA tournament is designed to be a meat grinder. It’s a three-week sprint where half the field evaporates every 48 hours.
Here is how the numbers drop.
After the First Four (March 17-18, 2026), we go from 68 down to the "traditional" 64. This is where the real madness kicks in.
By the time Friday night of the first week rolls around, 32 teams are already heading to the airport. They’re done. Season over. The Round of 32 takes place over the weekend (March 21-22), and by Monday morning, only 16 teams remain.
👉 See also: The Leyton Orient vs Manchester City History You Probably Forgot
The Sweet 16 is where things get serious. These games happen on March 26-27. If your team is still in the mix here, they are officially among the elite. But then, just like that, another eight teams are chopped.
The Elite Eight (March 28-29) whittles the field down to the four regional champions.
Current 2026 Tournament Milestone Dates
- Selection Sunday: March 15
- First Four: March 17-18 (68 teams to 64)
- First Round: March 19-20 (64 teams to 32)
- Second Round: March 21-22 (32 teams to 16)
- Sweet 16: March 26-27 (16 teams to 8)
- Elite Eight: March 28-29 (8 teams to 4)
- Final Four: April 4 (4 teams to 2)
- Championship: April 6 (One winner)
Why the Number 68 Still Confuses People
People still call it the "Field of 64." You’ve probably done it too. It’s okay. We all do. But the NCAA added the First Four back in 2011, and it’s been 68 ever since. There’s been a lot of talk lately—especially heading into this 2026 season—about expanding to 72 or even 76 teams.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA Senior VP of Basketball, has mentioned that expansion is "still viable." But for the 2026 tournament, we’re sticking with the 68-team format.
The First Four is basically a play-in. It features the four lowest-seeded "at-large" teams and the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers (the small conference winners). They play in Dayton, Ohio. Four win, four go home. Then we have our clean 64-team bracket.
Who is Still Standing? The 2026 Outlook
Since it is currently January, nobody is "out" yet, but the Bracketology experts like Joe Lunardi and the crew at CBS Sports are already sharpening their pencils. Based on the mid-January standings, we have some clear frontrunners.
Arizona is looking like a monster. They’re sitting at 17-0 as of mid-January. If the tournament started today, they’d be the #1 overall seed.
Duke (16-1) and UConn (17-1) are also essentially locks.
🔗 Read more: Why the Test Cricket Score Today Still Matters in the Age of T20
But the question of "how many teams left" becomes a tragedy for the bubble teams. Right now, teams like UCLA, Missouri, and Texas A&M are fighting for those final spots. In a few weeks, they won't be asking how many are left in the tournament—they'll be asking if they even made the cut.
Survival of the Fittest in the Second Weekend
By the second weekend of the tournament, the "Cinderella" teams usually start to fade. Or they become legends.
When you get to the Sweet 16, the level of play jumps. You aren't playing a 15-seed that got lucky anymore. You’re playing a blue-blood or a high-major that has found its rhythm.
If you are tracking the bracket live in late March, remember this simple rule: the number of teams left is always halved at the end of every round.
- Thursday/Friday (Week 1): 64 teams play. 32 survive.
- Saturday/Sunday (Week 1): 32 teams play. 16 survive.
- Thursday/Friday (Week 2): 16 teams play. 8 survive.
- Saturday/Sunday (Week 2): 8 teams play. 4 survive.
It’s brutal. It's beautiful.
Practical Steps for Tracking the Field
If you want to keep an airtight count on how many teams left in March Madness once the tournament actually tips off on March 17, here is what you do.
🔗 Read more: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Seating Chart with Seat Numbers: How to Avoid a View of the Concrete Pillar
First, download the official NCAA March Madness Live app. It updates in real-time. Second, don't just look at the bracket—look at the "Live Standings" or "Remaining Teams" tab.
During the first two days, teams are eliminated every two hours. It's easy to lose track. If you’re betting or in a pool, keep an eye on the Regional headers (East, West, South, Midwest). Each region starts with 16 or 17 teams. By the end of the first weekend, each region only has 4 teams left.
Basically, just keep your eyes on the schedule. The 2026 Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. By April 4, there will only be four teams left in the entire country. Two nights later, only one.
To stay ahead of the curve before Selection Sunday, monitor the "NET Rankings" on the NCAA website. This is the primary tool the committee uses to determine who gets into those 68 spots. If your team is outside the top 70 in the NET by late February, start praying for a conference tournament miracle. That's the only way they'll be part of the count when March finally arrives.