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With only days remaining in February, March Madness for men's and women's college basketball is right around the corner.
Well, sort of. Even though it'll be March before you know it, the actual 68-team tournaments don't start until halfway through the month. Here's what to know.
March Madness unofficially begins with Selection Sunday, when the 68 teams participating in the tournament and their seeding are announced.
Selection Sunday is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 15. The tournament bracket show is on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 31 Division I conferences all receive automatic bids, awarded to the winner of their postseason conference tournament. Second, teams can earn an invitation as an at-large bid.
The NCAA's selection committee — comprised of school and conference administrators — hands out 37 at-large bids to teams that did not win their conference tournament but "impressed the committee enough to earn a trip to the tournament," according to the NCAA.
The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17, in Dayton, Ohio, at UD Arena with the First Four. The first round begins on Thursday, March 19.
Here is the full schedule breakdown for the men's NCAA Tournament:
The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 18, with the first set of First Four games. First-round games begin two days later on Friday, March 20.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: When does the NCAA tournament start? See dates for March Madness
Continue reading...
Well, sort of. Even though it'll be March before you know it, the actual 68-team tournaments don't start until halfway through the month. Here's what to know.
When does the NCAA basketball tournament start?
March Madness unofficially begins with Selection Sunday, when the 68 teams participating in the tournament and their seeding are announced.
Selection Sunday is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 15. The tournament bracket show is on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
How do teams make the NCAA Tournament?
There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 31 Division I conferences all receive automatic bids, awarded to the winner of their postseason conference tournament. Second, teams can earn an invitation as an at-large bid.
The NCAA's selection committee — comprised of school and conference administrators — hands out 37 at-large bids to teams that did not win their conference tournament but "impressed the committee enough to earn a trip to the tournament," according to the NCAA.
When do the men's March Madness games start?
The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17, in Dayton, Ohio, at UD Arena with the First Four. The first round begins on Thursday, March 19.
Here is the full schedule breakdown for the men's NCAA Tournament:
- First Four: March 17-18
- Round of 64: March 19-20
- Round of 32: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite Eight: March 28-29
- Final Four: Saturday, April 4
- National Championship: Monday, April 6
When do the women's March Madness games start?
The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 18, with the first set of First Four games. First-round games begin two days later on Friday, March 20.
- First Four: March 18-19
- First round: March 20-21
- Second round: March 22-23
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-30
- Final Four: Friday, April 3
- NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 5
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: When does the NCAA tournament start? See dates for March Madness
Continue reading...
