2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
source
Year	2026
Teams	68
Final Four Arena	Lucas Oil Stadium
Final Four City	Indianapolis, Indiana
Championship City	Indianapolis, Indiana

2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament will be the 88th edition of the single-elimination tournament played to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The event, organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), will culminate with the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament will feature 68 teams competing across the United States in a series of rounds beginning in mid-March.

Selection process

The selection of the 68-team field will be conducted by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee, chaired by a sitting athletic director from a member institution. As in previous years, 32 teams will receive automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournament championships, such as the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and the Big Ten Conference tournament. The remaining 36 teams will be awarded at-large bids based on a comprehensive evaluation of their seasonal performance, including metrics like the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, strength of schedule, and quality wins. The committee will announce the full bracket, including the four teams sent to the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, during the nationally televised Selection Sunday broadcast on CBS.

Tournament schedule

The tournament will follow its traditional multi-week schedule, with all times Eastern. The First Four games will tip off at UD Arena on March 17-18, 2026. The first and second rounds, often referred to as the "first weekend," are scheduled for March 19-22 at eight predetermined sites, including venues like the CHI Health Center Omaha and the Spectrum Center. Regional semifinals and finals, known as the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, will be held from March 26-29 at four locations: the East Regional in New York City, the West Regional in Los Angeles, the Midwest Regional in Detroit, and the South Regional in Dallas. The Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4, with the National Championship Game scheduled for April 6.

Participating teams

The full list of participating teams will be announced on Selection Sunday. Automatic qualifiers will include the champions from all 32 Division I conferences, such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big 12 Conference, and the Pac-12 Conference. Historically powerful programs like the Duke Blue Devils, Kansas Jayhawks, and Kentucky Wildcats are perennial contenders for at-large bids. The field will be seeded from 1 to 16 within each of the four regions, with the top overall seed expected to be placed in the region closest to its geographic base, a policy managed by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.

Tournament bracket

The official tournament bracket will be revealed on Selection Sunday, outlining the path for all 68 teams through the six rounds of competition. The bracket will be divided into four regions, each containing 17 teams when including the First Four participants. Early-round matchups will be hosted at sites like the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The bracket is designed to avoid early-round matchups between teams from the same conference, following principles established by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.

Game summaries

Game summaries for all 67 contests will be provided by media outlets including ESPN, CBS Sports, and the Associated Press. Key early-round matchups often feature dramatic upsets by lower-seeded "Cinderella" teams, while the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds typically showcase clashes between national powers. The Final Four in Indianapolis will feature the national semifinals, with the winners advancing to the championship game. Detailed accounts of these games, including standout performances from potential Naismith College Player of the Year candidates, will be widely covered.

Records and statistics

The tournament will produce a new set of records and statistics for the NCAA record book. Individual records to watch include single-game scoring marks, potentially challenged by stars from programs like the North Carolina Tar Heels or Gonzaga Bulldogs. Team records may involve three-point shooting percentages or margins of victory. The event will also update the all-time coaching win records for figures like Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks and Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans. Official statistics will be maintained by the NCAA and partners like Turner Sports.

Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments Category:2026 in sports in the United States