March Madness 2026: Selection Sunday Date, Bracket Predictions, and Everything You Need to Know
The countdown to March Madness 2026 is officially on. Conference tournaments are getting underway this week, Selection Sunday is just ten days away, and the four No. 1 seed picture is shaping up fast. Here is your complete guide to the 2026 NCAA Tournament — dates, bracket predictions, sites, and how to watch.
Selection Sunday 2026: Date, Time, and Channel
Selection Sunday for 2026 March Madness is Sunday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS, with streaming available on Paramount+ and the CBS Sports app.
The women's bracket will be revealed immediately after at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The 68-team field will be announced after all major conference tournament championship games are completed, giving the Selection Committee final results before locking in the bracket.
The first automatic bid to March Madness will be secured Saturday, March 7, with the winner of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Big East and power conference tournaments begin next week, making every game from now through Selection Sunday critical for bubble teams fighting for their tournament lives.
2026 March Madness Full Schedule
Here is the complete 2026 NCAA Tournament schedule:
| Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 15 | CBS, 6 PM ET |
| First Four | March 17–18 | Dayton, OH (UD Arena) |
| First Round | March 19–20 | Multiple Cities |
| Second Round | March 21–22 | Multiple Cities |
| Sweet 16 | March 26–27 | Houston, San Jose, Chicago, Washington D.C. |
| Elite Eight | March 28–29 | Houston, San Jose, Chicago, Washington D.C. |
| Final Four | April 4 | Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) |
| National Championship | April 6 | Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) |
Bracketology 2026: Current No. 1 Seed Projections
Michigan, UConn, Arizona, and Duke remain the projected No. 1 seeds in the latest March Madness bracket predictions as of the first week of March, with Florida and Michigan State climbing to No. 2 seeds in the most recent update.
Duke took over the No. 1 overall seed in late February after the Blue Devils defeated Michigan, but the four teams at the top have stayed remarkably consistent throughout the season.
Current projected No. 1 seeds:
| Region | Team |
|---|---|
| East | Duke |
| Midwest | Michigan |
| South | Arizona |
| West | UConn |
2026 March Madness Sites: First and Second Round Cities
The cities hosting first and second round games in 2026 are Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Oklahoma City; Portland; Tampa; Philadelphia; San Diego; and St. Louis. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will take place in Houston, San Jose, Chicago, and Washington D.C.
How to Watch March Madness 2026
The 2026 NCAA Tournament will air across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, with every game streaming on March Madness Live. The Final Four and national championship game air on TBS at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Streaming access through Paramount+ and the CBS Sports app covers all CBS games across the tournament.
The Bubble Right Now: Who Is In and Who Is Out
The bubble continues to move like a revolving door heading into conference tournament week, with teams like Purdue, Kansas, Michigan State, and Florida all jostling for positioning in the projected top seed lines.
Houston, Illinois, Iowa State, and Nebraska are currently projected as No. 2 seeds — all programs with strong cases to move up or slide down depending on conference tournament performance over the next ten days.
Selection Sunday is March 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS. The real madness is ten days away.
