You feel it in the air every year around mid-February. The regular season starts to wind down, the "bubble" talk gets deafening, and suddenly everyone is an expert on RPI and Quad 1 wins. But if you're trying to clear your calendar for the actual chaos, you need to know exactly when does the ncaa basketball tournament start for the 2026 season.
Honestly, it’s closer than it looks. We aren't just talking about a single Thursday tip-off anymore. The "start" is actually a staggered launch that begins in Dayton and ends in a massive football stadium in Indy.
The Official 2026 Tip-Off Dates
The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament officially begins on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
This is the "First Four." It’s held at the University of Dayton Arena in Ohio, a place that basically lives and breathes college hoops. If you’re a purist who thinks the tournament doesn't "really" start until the Round of 64 on Thursday, you’re technically wrong—and you're missing out on some of the most desperate, high-stakes basketball of the month.
Selection Sunday happens just two days prior, on March 15, 2026. That’s when the committee reveals the bracket on CBS and the entire world starts scribbling on paper they’ll inevitably throw away by Friday afternoon.
Breaking Down the 2026 Schedule
The tournament moves fast. Once those first four games are out of the way in Dayton on March 17 and 18, the floodgates open.
- 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.
- National Championship: Monday, April 6.
Where the Madness Happens in 2026
When you're looking at when does the ncaa basketball tournament start, it helps to know where the teams are heading. For 2026, the NCAA has spread the sub-regionals across the country.
The first weekend (March 19–22) features games in Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City, and Portland for the Thursday/Saturday pods. Then you've got Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis hosting the Friday/Sunday matchups.
If your favorite team is a 1-seed, they’ll likely be sent to the site geographically closest to them, but the committee has a funny way of making things difficult.
The Road to Indianapolis
Everything leads to Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis is basically the headquarters for college basketball, and they’ve hosted the Final Four more times than most fans can count.
The regional sites for the second weekend are just as iconic. The South Regional hits Houston at the Toyota Center, while the West heads to San Jose. Up north, Chicago takes the Midwest Regional at the United Center, and the East finishes at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
What People Get Wrong About the Start Date
A lot of fans wait until that first Thursday to tune in. That’s a mistake.
The "First Four" games on Tuesday and Wednesday involve the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers. These aren't just "play-in" games for teams that don't matter. We’ve seen teams like VCU and UCLA go from the First Four all the way to the Final Four.
If you aren't watching on March 17, you might miss the birth of the next Cinderella.
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The tournament is a 68-team field now. It has been since 2011. While the "Round of 64" is the most famous part of the bracket, the tournament's life begins the moment the Selection Committee chair hands over the first envelope on Sunday night.
How to Prepare for the 2026 Start
If you're planning a trip or just a couch-marathon, timing is everything.
- Selection Sunday (March 15): Have your printer ready. Or your digital app. This is the only day the bracket is "pure" before the upsets start.
- The First Four (March 17-18): These games usually air on TruTV. It’s the channel you forget you have until March.
- The Main Event (March 19): This is the holy grail of sports days. 16 games in one day.
Basically, the 2026 tournament is a three-week sprint. It starts with a whisper in Dayton and ends with "One Shining Moment" in Indianapolis.
Your Next Steps: Check your local TV listings for TruTV and CBS to ensure you have access before March 17. If you're planning to attend in person, the NCAA's official ticket portal usually opens up secondary market options once the bracket is set on March 15. Make sure your bracket is finalized by noon ET on March 19, which is when the first game of the Round of 64 typically tips off and brackets lock across most major platforms.