The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA tournament is here, kicking off the best three weeks of the year: March Madness. So who will make it to the Final Four? And which Cinderellas will play spoiler this year? The action tips off this week, beginning with the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the first round on Thursday.
To kick off the Selection Sunday show, Duke was announced as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, with Arizona, Michigan and Florida joining the Blue Devils on the top line.
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Michigan enters the tournament with a slight odds edge (+325 via BetMGM) over ACC champion Duke (+333), followed by Big 12 winner Arizona (+425) and last year’s champion, Florida (+600).
But this could be anyone’s title to win, as the top contenders enter the tournament with different levels of momentum. Not to mention, there are plenty of teams that could knock them off.
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How to watch men’s NCAA tournamentFirst Four
Dates: Tuesday, March 17; Wednesday, March 18
Times: 6:40 p.m.; 9:10 p.m. ET
Channel: truTV
First, second rounds
Dates: March 19-22
Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
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Elite 8, Sweet 16
Dates: March 27-30
Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
Final Four
Date: April 4
Times: 6 p.m.; 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: TBS
National championship
Date: April 6
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: TBS
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest March Madness news coming out of Selection Sunday, including the full first-round schedule as games are revealed:
Live39 updatesSun, March 15, 2026 at 3:40 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The NCAA men’s tournament bracket has been revealed with Duke as the No. 1 overall seed.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:45 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The true start times are out for the first round after a few fake versions were kicking around the internet.
Plan your weekend accordingly.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:36 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Historically, underdogs have done well for bettors against the spread.
Lately, that hasn’t been the case.
Yahoo’s Frank Schwab lays out the numbers
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:16 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Last year’s NCAA tournament wound up being one the chalkiest of all time. Was that a one-year anomaly or a sign of a larger trend?
No. 16 seed UMBC upset No. 1 Virginia in the 2018 NCAA tournament. Will we see more upsets like that again? (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(The Washington Post via Getty Images)Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:07 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
At least two teams so far, Indiana and Belmont, are declining to participate in the NIT this year after missing out on the NCAA tournament.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
It happened last year. The odds say it’s unlikely to happen again.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, who’s son Steven coaches the team now, wasn’t happy about the Tigers being left out of the tournament field.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 4:25 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
That’s right. At least according to an analysis of KenPom ratings.
Duke has UConn and Michigan State — two of the 11 KenPom-certified national championship contenders — before even reaching the Final Four. And Kansas is a rugged No. 4.
UConn ranks 28th in KenPom offense and 11th in defense. Michigan State’s profile is strong enough to be labeled a title contender by KenPom. Kansas, meanwhile, is one of just 11 teams in the nation with eight Quad 1 wins, with a defense-only rating that qualifies for the Sweet 16 KenPom tier.
No other No. 1 seed faces that stacked of threats in their region on the road to Indianapolis. Duke is the best team in the country and has the hardest path to the championship — a rough combination.
Who has the second-toughest region as a No. 1? Michigan. The Midwest Region’s lower seeds are softer than the East’s.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 4:15 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The betting odds favor Michigan to win the national title, followed closely by Duke and Arizona.
Here’s a full look at the top tournament favorites
2026 men’s NCAA tournament favoritesSun, March 15, 2026 at 3:55 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Multi-bid conferences
SEC: 10
Big Ten: 9
ACC 8
Big 12: 8
Big East: 3
WCC: 3
Atlantic 10: 2
MAC: 2
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:46 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Here’s how the bubble teams shook out in the bracket:
Last four in
NC State
Texas
SMU
Miami (Ohio)
First four out
Oklahoma
Auburn
San Diego State
Indiana
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:38 PM PDT
Nick Bromberg
The South region features a couple of geographic disadvantages for higher-seeded teams.
The region host is Houston, meaning the No. 2 Cougars could meet No. 1 Florida in the Elite Eight just a few miles from campus. That would be a raucous environment against Florida.
No. 3 Illinois, meanwhile, faces the prospect of playing No. 6 North Carolina in Greenville, South Carolina, in the second round. That would be a very, very pro-North Carolina crowd, unless there were enough Duke fans there to root against the Tar Heels.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:35 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Prarie View A&M/Lehigh
No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho
South region revealed
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:30 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
You can make a case for any number of teams behind Michigan to get to the Elite Eight — and maybe even the Final Four — in the Midwest region.
St. Louis is going to be an incredibly popular place in the first round given Iowa State and Kentucky also playing there. That’s going to be the most expensive ticket among any of the eight subregional sites.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:27 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 SMU/Miami (Ohio)
No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State
No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State
Midwest region revealed
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:18 PM PDT
Nick Bromberg
The Boilermakers’ Big Ten tournament run clearly impressed the committee … and Purdue could end up playing a de facto road game in the second round.
No. 10 Missouri was a bubble team entering the tournament. Not only are the Tigers avoiding having to go to Dayton, they’ll be playing No. 7 Miami in St. Louis. That’s a head-scratching location decision by the committee.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:16 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU
No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State
No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State
No. 7 Miami (Florida) vs. No. 10 Missouri
No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens
NCAA tournament West region
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:09 PM PDT
Nick Bromberg
The Red Storm could have easily been a No. 4 after beating UConn on Saturday night. UConn, meanwhile, is also in that region. And even though Duke will be the prohibitive favorite to win the region and make the Final Four, don’t totally rule out another UConn-St. John’s game in the Elite Eight.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU
No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman
NCAA men’s tournament East Region
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 3:02 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
No surprise here, but the Blue Devils are the top seed in the NCAA tournament.