The 87th edition of the men’s March Madness tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17. From the First Four to the National Championship, 68 college basketball teams will battle it out across 14 host sites. Fans at home or on the go can watch all the action on the usual four TV channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV.
If you prefer streaming, all CBS games are available on Paramount+, but only on the Paramount+ Premium plan. Meanwhile, every TBS, TNT, and truTV matchup will stream on HBO Max. You can only view live sports with a Standard or Premium HBO Max.
Of course, four channels and various streaming services televising 67 games across three weeks can get confusing. That’s why I’ve listed the entire 2026 March Madness TV schedule below—emphasizing start times and channel listings.
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2026 Men’s March Madness schedule
Selection Sunday kicks off the March Madness excitement on March 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS. It all leads to the 2026 National Championship Game on Monday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Hit the jump links below for a round-by-round view of the men’s March Madness TV schedule. We’ll keep this page updated as each round of the knockout tournament progresses.
First Four
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule First Four
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 16 UMBC Retrievers vs. No. 16 Howard Bison | Tuesday, March 17 | 6:40 p.m. | |
No. 11 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 11 NC State Wolfpack | Tuesday, March 17 | 9:29 p.m. | |
No. 16 Prairie View A&M Panthers vs. No. 16 Lehigh Mountain Hawks | Wednesday, March 18 | 6:40 p.m. | |
No. 11 Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. No. 11 SMU Mustangs | Wednesday, March 18 | 9:15 p.m. |
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First Round (Round of 64)
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule First Round (64)
| Game | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|
Thursday﹐ March 19 | ||
No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs | 12:15 p.m. | |
No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 13 Troy Trojans | 12:40 p.m. | |
No. 6 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 11 South Florida Bulls | 1:30 p.m. | |
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 12 High Point Panthers | 1:50 p.m. | |
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 16 Siena Saints | 3:00 p.m. | |
No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. 12 McNeese Cowboys | 3:15 p.m. | |
No. 3 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 14 North Dakota State Bison | 4:27 p.m. | |
No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 13 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors | 4:27 p.m. | |
No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 11 VCU Rams | 6:50 p.m. | |
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 16 Howard Bison | 7:30 p.m. | |
No. 6 BYU Cougars vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns | 7:35 p.m. | |
No. 7 Saint Mary's Gaels vs. No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies | 7:35 p.m. | |
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 14 Pennsylvania Quakers | 9:55 p.m. | |
No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens | 10:10 p.m. | |
No. 2 Houston Cougars vs. No. 15 Idaho Vandals | 10:15 p.m. | |
No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State Owls | 10:24 p.m. | |
Friday﹐ March 20 | ||
No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos | 12:15 p.m. | |
No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 12 Akron Zips | 12:40 p.m. | |
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 16 Long Island University Sharks | 1:35 p.m. | |
No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers vs. No. 14 Wright State Raiders | 1:50 p.m. | |
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 15 Tennessee State Tigers | 3:07 p.m. | |
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 13 Hofstra Pride | 3:15 p.m. | |
No. 8 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 9 Utah State Aggies | 4:10 p.m. | |
No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 11 Miami (OH) RedHawks | 4:25 p.m. | |
No. 8 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes | 6:50 p.m. | |
No. 5 St. John's Red Storm vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa Panthers | 7:25 p.m. | |
No. 7 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 10 UCF Knights | 7:31 p.m. | |
No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 15 Queens University Royals | 7:35 p.m. | |
No. 1 Florida Gators vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M Panthers | 9:25 p.m. | |
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 13 California Baptist Lancers | 10:07 p.m. | |
No. 7 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 10 Missouri Tigers | 10:07 p.m. | |
No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 15 Furman Paladins | 10:31 p.m. |
Second Round (Round of 32)
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule Second Round (32)
| Game | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|
Saturday﹐ March 21 | ||
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens | 12:10 p.m. | |
No. 3 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 6 Louisville Cardinals | 2:45 p.m. | |
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs | 5:25 p.m. | |
No. 2 Houston Cougars vs. No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies | 6:10 p.m. | |
No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns | 7:10 p.m. | |
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 11 VCU Rams | 8:15 p.m. | |
No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores | 9:02 p.m. | |
No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 12 High Point Panthers | 9:45 p.m. | |
Sunday﹐ March 22 | ||
No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 7 Miami Hurricanes | 12:10 p.m. | |
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats | 2:45 p.m. | |
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 5 St. John's Red Storm | 5:15 p.m. | |
No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers vs. No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers | 6:10 p.m. | |
No. 1 Florida Gators vs. No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes | 7:10 p.m. | |
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 9 Utah State Aggies | 8:11 p.m. | |
No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 7 UCLA Bruins | 9:10 p.m. | |
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders | 10:08 p.m. |
Sweet 16 (Regional semifinals)
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule Sweet 16
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns | Thursday, March 26 | 7:10 p.m. | |
No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes | Thursday, March 26 | 7:30 p.m. | |
No. 2 Houston Cougars vs. No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini | Thursday, March 26 | 10:05 p.m. | |
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks | Thursday, March 26 | 10:06 p.m. | |
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 5 St. John's Red Storm | Friday, March 27 | 7:10 p.m. | |
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide | Friday, March 27 | 7:35 p.m. | |
No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 3 Michigan State Spartans | Friday, March 27 | 9:55 p.m. | |
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers | Friday, March 27 | 10:35 p.m. |
Elite Eight (Regional finals)
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule Elite 8
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes | Saturday, March 28 | 6:09 p.m. | |
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers | Saturday, March 28 | 8:59 p.m. | |
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers | Sunday, March 29 | 2:15 p.m. | |
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies | Sunday, March 29 | 5:05 p.m. |
Final Four
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule Final Four
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini | Saturday, April 4 | 6:09 p.m. | |
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats | Saturday, April 4 | 9:19 p.m. |
National Championship
NCAAM - Tournament Schedule Championship Game
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies | Monday, April 6 | 8:50 p.m. |
Men’s March Madness schedule FAQ
What day does March Madness start?
The 2026 March Madness tournament starts on Tuesday, March 17, when the men’s First Four round tips off.
When are March Madness game times announced?
CBS will announce the First Four and First Round game times and matchups during its Selection Sunday broadcast on March 15. As the tournament progresses, broadcasters and the NCAA will reveal upcoming games on air and online.
When are March Madness brackets due?
Fans participating in a March Madness bracket challenge must typically submit their picks around 15 minutes before the First Round tips off. That means you should confirm your 2026 bracket at noon ET on Thursday, March 19.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com sports editor, Taylor Kujawa, compiled this year’s men’s March Madness TV schedule by reviewing the official NCAA basketball calendar. He then verified game times and channel listings with each broadcaster and addressed additional schedule details and viewing tips in our FAQ section.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
