How to watch all of today's games in the men's NCAA basketball tournament, follow your brackets, start times, TV channels and more

[ASFN Admin]

March Madness has arrived. The men's NCAA tournament tipped off with the First Four, and now it's time for the first round to begin. Today, we've got Duke vs. Siena, North Carolina vs. VCU, Michigan State vs. North Dakota State, and more.

Just like last year, the two March Madness tournaments (men's and women's) are spread across a range of channels, so if you’re looking for how to watch March Madness, Yahoo Sports has you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about watching the men’s NCAA basketball tournament live this week, from the first-round games all the way to the championship.

How to watch men's March Madness 2026 ​

Dates: March 17 - April 6, 2026

TV channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV

Streaming: Paramount+, DirecTV and more

Men's NCAA tournament first-round schedule:​

The following is a breakdown of every First Round game schedule, including who's playing and how to watch.

All times Eastern

Thursday, March 19​

• 
  12:15 p.m.: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
  
  
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  12:40 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
  
  
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  1:30 p.m.: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
  
  
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  1:50 p.m.: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
  
  
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  2:50 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
  
  
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  3:15 p.m.: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
  
  
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  4:05 p.m.: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
  
  
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  4:25 p.m.: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
  
  
• 
  6:50 p.m.: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
  
  
• 
  7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
  
  
• 
  7:25 p.m.: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or NC State (TBS)
  
  
• 
  7:35 p.m.: No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (TruTV)
  
  
• 
  9:25 p.m.: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn (TNT)
  
  
• 
  9:45 p.m.: No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (CBS)
  
  
• 
  10 p.m.: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
  
  
• 
  10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
  

Friday, March 20

• 
  12:15 p.m.: No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
  
  
• 
  12:40 p.m.: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
  
  
• 
  1:35 p.m.: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU (TNT)
  
  
• 
  1:50 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
  
  
• 
  2:50 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
  
  
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  3:15 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
  
  
• 
  4:10 p.m.: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State (TNT)
  
  
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  4:25 p.m.: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) or SMU (TBS)
  
  
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  6:50 p.m.: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
  
  
• 
  7:10 p.m.: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
  
  
• 
  7:25 p.m.: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
  
  
• 
  7:35 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens (TruTV)
  
  
• 
  9:25 p.m.: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida (TNT)
  
  
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  9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist (CBS)
  
  
• 
  10 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
  
  
• 
  10:10 p.m.: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)
  

What channel is March Madness on in 2026?​

Games in the men’s NCAA tournament will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. The women’s NCAA tournament will air across the ESPN suite — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.

Don’t have cable? Don’t worry. You can stream the men’s games easily with a subscription to Paramount+ Premium and HBO Max Standard, or a live-TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo or Sling. The women’s games will be accessible via an ESPN Unlimited subscription (or any live-TV streaming service that includes the ESPN suite).

How to watch March Madness games live without cable: ​

When does March Madness start?​

The men's NCAA tournament games tipped off with the First Four on Tuesday, March 17. The women's side tipped off on Wednesday, March 18.

When does March Madness end?​

The men's NCAA basketball tournament concludes with the championship game on Monday, April 6, 2026.

2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament key dates:​

• 
  Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on CBS
  
  
• 
  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
  

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