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March Madness, every basketball lover's favorite time of the year, will be here before we know it. Soon, 68 men's college basketball teams and 68 women's teams will compete in their respective NCAA tournaments for a national championship title.
But you can't fill out your brackets quite yet. Conference tournaments, which start as soon as March 2, need to take place. The winners of these receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournaments.
So, when does March Madness kick off? Here's what to know:
The men's NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17.
The women's NCAA Tournament begins the following day on Wednesday, March 18.
For the men's tournament, the first set of First Four games will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
The first women's game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be on March 18, starting with the First Four. A location for the game is not yet listed on the NCAA's website.
Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 15 for both the men's and women's NCAA tournaments.
The 68-team bracket for the men's NCAA Tournament will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15, assuming no outstanding conference championship games are still ongoing. The bracket for the women's NCAA Tournament is set to be revealed at 8 p.m. ET on that Sunday.
CBS will broadcast the men's NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday show, while ESPN will handle the women's Selection Sunday show.
Streaming options for both bracket reveal shows include Fubo, which carries both CBS and the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers. You can also stream the women's Selection Sunday show on the ESPN app (with a TV login).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: March Madness 2026 start date. When is the March Madness bracket released?
Continue reading...
But you can't fill out your brackets quite yet. Conference tournaments, which start as soon as March 2, need to take place. The winners of these receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournaments.
So, when does March Madness kick off? Here's what to know:
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When does March Madness start?
The men's NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17.
The women's NCAA Tournament begins the following day on Wednesday, March 18.
When is the first game of March Madness?
For the men's tournament, the first set of First Four games will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
The first women's game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be on March 18, starting with the First Four. A location for the game is not yet listed on the NCAA's website.
When is Selection Sunday?
Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 15 for both the men's and women's NCAA tournaments.
When is the March Madness bracket released?
- Men's Tournament selection show time: 6 p.m. ET
- Women's Tournament selection show time: 8 p.m. ET
The 68-team bracket for the men's NCAA Tournament will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15, assuming no outstanding conference championship games are still ongoing. The bracket for the women's NCAA Tournament is set to be revealed at 8 p.m. ET on that Sunday.
What TV channel is Selection Sunday show on?
- TV channels: CBS | ESPN
- Streaming options: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
CBS will broadcast the men's NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday show, while ESPN will handle the women's Selection Sunday show.
Streaming options for both bracket reveal shows include Fubo, which carries both CBS and the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers. You can also stream the women's Selection Sunday show on the ESPN app (with a TV login).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: March Madness 2026 start date. When is the March Madness bracket released?
Continue reading...
