When Does NCAA March Madness 2026 Start? Key Dates and Full Tournament Schedule

NCAA March Madness is possibly the most popular and widely viewed sport in America. It is hosted by the NCAA and serves as the national championship for Men's NCAA Division I Basketball. Every year in the Spring, the tournament has 68 teams from all parts of America compete in a bracket format, where one team wins and the other is eliminated in a single-game matchup. 

This tournament is very hard to predict because, usually, some of the ‘lower-seeded’ or underdog teams upset top teams during the tournament.

Fans from all over America and beyond closely follow the tournament by creating a bracket predicting who will win every matchup throughout the entire tournament. 

Due to the speed of the tournament, the drama in many of the games and some incredibly unexpected outcomes, March Madness has earned itself this title.

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When Does NCAA March Madness 2026 Start?

Millions of people across the country tune into the NCAA March Madness each year as it is one of the most highly anticipated events in college basketball.

 The 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship will take place from mid-March until early April, and 68 teams will compete for the National Championship.

Selection Sunday will be on March 15, 2026, marking the start of the NCAA March Madness Tournament. 

The NCAA selection committee will announce the full bracket and the teams that qualify for the tournament on this date.

Key Dates of NCAA March Madness 2026

March Madness has date ranges from mid-March into early April and includes multiple days for each of the four phases: the Selection Day, the First Four, the Sweet 16, and the Final Four.

The tournament begins on Selection Day (March 15, 2026) when the NCAA announces its 68 teams for Men's Division I Tournament.

The First Four of the Tournament begin two days later (March 17-18), followed by the First Round on March 19-20, 2026, then the Second Round on March 21-22, 2026, and lastly, the final two rounds will take place in mid-March/early-April (Sweet 16 rounds on March 26-27, Elite Eight rounds on March 28-29, and Final Four round on April 4, 2026) with the championship game concluding on April 6, 2026 in Indianapolis.

Full Tournament Schedule

The 2026 NCAA March Madness offers several weeks filled with exciting college basketball, featuring 68 teams competing across multiple rounds, thrilling match-ups, unexpected losses, and the race to determine the national champion will be epic!