You feel it in the air every March. That weird, collective itch to print out a piece of paper, stare at 68 team names, and confidently predict that a 14-seed from a conference you can't name will make the Sweet Sixteen. It’s glorious. But if you’re trying to plan your life—or at least your PTO—around the madness, you need the actual dates.
So, when does the ncaa basketball tourney start?
For the 2026 season, the engine officially turns over on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
That is the day the "First Four" kicks off in Dayton, Ohio. If you're the kind of person who thinks the tournament doesn't "really" start until Thursday morning when 16 games happen at once, then your date is March 19. But strictly speaking, the road to the Final Four begins that Tuesday night at UD Arena.
The Chaos Calendar: 2026 Key Dates
Selection Sunday is the spark. It’s happening on March 15, 2026. That’s the day the committee locks themselves in a room, eats too much takeout, and decides who's in and who's heartbroken.
Honestly, the schedule is a bit of a marathon. Here is how the men's side breaks down:
- Selection Sunday: March 15
- First Four: March 17–18 (Dayton, OH)
- First/Second Rounds: March 19–22
- Sweet 16/Elite Eight: March 26–29
- Final Four: Saturday, April 4
- Championship Game: Monday, April 6
The Women’s tournament follows a nearly identical rhythm, though they usually offset by a day or two. For 2026, the Women’s Selection Sunday is also March 15. Their "First Four" play-in games go down March 18–19, with the big dance starting in earnest on Friday, March 20.
Where is Everyone Playing?
Location matters. If you're in the Midwest, you're in luck because the Men's Final Four is returning to its "home base" in Indianapolis. Lucas Oil Stadium is basically built for this.
For the earlier rounds, the NCAA spreads the love. We're talking Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City, and Portland for the Thursday/Saturday pod. Then you've got Tampa, Philly, San Diego, and St. Louis taking the Friday/Sunday slots.
It’s a logistical nightmare for the teams, but a dream for fans who want to catch a game without flying across three time zones.
The Women’s side is doing something cool, too. Their Regionals (the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) are being held in two "super-regional" sites: Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, California. Instead of four different cities, they cluster the games, which usually makes for a much better atmosphere. Their Final Four is heading to Phoenix, specifically at the Footprint Center.
Why the "Start" Date is Sorta Subjective
Ask five different fans "when does the ncaa basketball tourney start" and you might get three different answers.
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There's the purist answer: Selection Sunday. That’s when the bracket is live. The second that PDF hits the internet, the tournament has begun in the minds of millions.
Then there's the Dayton answer. The First Four used to be viewed as an appetizer, but after teams like VCU and UCLA went from the First Four all the way to the Final Four, people started taking Tuesday night seriously. If you have a bet on a game, it started Tuesday.
Finally, there’s the "Workplace Productivity Killer" answer. That’s the first Thursday. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—like the noon tip-off on that first Thursday. It’s the only time of year when it’s socially acceptable to have four TVs running in a Buffalo Wild Wings at 11:00 AM on a workday.
The Bubble and the Bids
People always ask how these teams even get there. It’s not just about being "good."
There are 31 automatic bids. You win your conference tournament; you’re in. Doesn't matter if you had a losing record in the regular season. If you get hot in March, you’re dancing.
The other 37 spots are "at-large" bids. These are the ones that cause the yelling on TV. The committee looks at the NET rankings, Quad 1 wins, and "quality losses" (a term fans love to hate). By the time March 17 rolls around, the bubble has either burst or held firm for those fringe teams like a mid-tier ACC school or a dominant mid-major that slipped up in its conference final.
How to Actually Watch This Year
The broadcast situation hasn't changed much, which is a relief. For the men, you’re looking at the CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV quadfecta. Basically, if you have a remote, you can find a game.
The women’s tournament has seen a massive explosion in viewership lately—shoutout to the Caitlin Clark effect that fundamentally shifted the floor for the sport. You’ll find most of those games on the ESPN family of networks, with the championship usually landing a prime spot on ABC.
Actionable Tips for March 2026
If you're serious about following the start of the tournament, don't just wait for the first tip-off.
- Clear your calendar for March 19–20. Those are the two best days of the sporting year. 32 games in 48 hours.
- Book your Indy hotels now. If you're planning on hitting the Men's Final Four in Indianapolis (April 4–6), prices are already climbing. Indianapolis is a great host city because everything is walkable, but that also means the downtown hotels fill up fast.
- Watch the "Mid-Major" finals. The week before Selection Sunday (March 8–14) is when the "one-bid leagues" play. These are the teams that become the 12-seeds and 13-seeds that ruin your bracket later.
- Download the March Madness Live app. It’s honestly one of the few sports apps that actually works well. You can stream games and, more importantly, get alerts when a game is in "Upset Alert" status (usually under 5 minutes left with a small lead for the underdog).
The tournament is a chaotic, beautiful mess. It starts with a few games in an arena in Ohio and ends with "One Shining Moment" in a football stadium. Whether you start watching on Selection Sunday or wait for the Thursday madness, just make sure you’re ready by March 17, 2026.
Once that first whistle blows in Dayton, there’s no turning back.
Next Steps for 2026
- Mark March 15 on your calendar for the Selection Show.
- Finalize your travel if you're heading to Indianapolis or Phoenix.
- Check the conference tournament schedules starting in early March to see who secures the first automatic bids.