2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Preview
Mark your calendars—March Madness is here! On March 15, the NCAA revealed the exciting lineup of 68 teams set to compete for glory in the 2026 Men’s Basketball Tournament. It’s going to be a wild ride.
This year’s top seeds include notable teams such as Duke, led by Cameron Boozer, Florida with Thomas Ho, Arizona featuring Jaden Bradley, and Michigan with Jaxel Rendeborg. They’ll be joined by emerging squads like Missouri’s Mark Mitchell, Nebraska’s Price Sandfort, and Peter Suder’s Miami-Ohio Redhawks, all set to square off in the “First Four.”
And for New York fans, excitement is in the air with not just one but four teams making the cut! The No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm, guided by Zuby Ejiofor, No. 13 Hofstra Pride with Cruz Davis, No. 16 Siena Saints led by Gavin Doty, and Long Island University Sharks, captained by Jamal Fuller, will all join the fray.
The early rounds promise to be thrilling, with games slated to take place across various venues, including:
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, Ohio
Moda Center
Portland, Oregon
Paycom Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Greenville, South Carolina
KeyBank Center
Buffalo, New York
Other initial matches are set for Philadelphia, Tampa, St. Louis, and San Diego before the games heat up for the Sweet 16.
If you’re eager to cheer for your favorite team or catch future NBA stars in action, there are still last-minute tickets available for all 67 games leading to the championship on April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The lowest ticket price we spotted was $17, with some multi-game passes going for $343 in Philadelphia for the first two rounds.
Ryan Dunleavy from the Post has noted that this year’s freshman class may be one of the most impressive in history, which is definitely something to keep an eye on.
NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness Tickets 2026
If you’re looking for ticket details, we’ve got you covered. A full breakdown of all upcoming matches, their venues, and ticket prices is available.
University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio
| Team and schedule | StubHub pricing start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 17th-18th) UMBC vs. Howard Texas vs. North Carolina State University Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh Miami (Ohio State) vs. SMU |
$253 (Including fees) |
| First Four Sessions 1 (Tuesday, March 17th) UMBC vs. Howard Texas vs. North Carolina State University |
$17 (Including fees) |
| First Four Sessions 2 (Wednesday, March 18th) Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh Miami (Ohio State) vs. SMU |
$93 (Including fees) |
Moda Center in Portland, Oregon
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 19th and 21st) High Point vs. Wisconsin Hawaii vs. Arkansas TBD vs. BYU Kennesaw State University vs. Gonzaga State |
$412 (Fee included) |
| Session 1 (Thursday, March 19th 10:50am) High Point vs. Wisconsin Hawaii vs. Arkansas |
$27 (Fee included) |
| Session 2 (Thursday, March 19th 4:25pm) TBD vs. BYU Kennesaw State University vs. Gonzaga State |
$66 (Fee included) |
Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 19th and 21st) TCU vs Ohio State University Siena vs. Duke VCU vs. North Carolina Penn vs. Illinois |
$595 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Thursday, March 19th 12:15pm) TCU vs Ohio State University Siena vs. Duke |
$75 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Thursday, March 19th 6:50pm) VCU vs. North Carolina Penn vs. Illinois |
$105 (Including fees) |
Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 19th and 21st) Troy vs Nebraska McNeese vs. Vanderbilt Texas A&M vs. St. Mary’s Idaho vs Houston |
$563 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Thursday, March 19th, 11:40pm) Troy vs Nebraska McNeese vs. Vanderbilt |
$112 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Thursday, March 19th 6:35pm) Texas A&M vs. St. Mary’s Idaho vs Houston |
$24 (Including fees) |
KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 19th and 21st) South Florida vs. Louisville North Dakota State vs. Michigan State TBD vs. Michigan St. Louis vs. Georgia |
$443 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Thursday, March 19th 1:30pm) South Florida vs. Louisville North Dakota State vs. Michigan State |
$77 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Thursday, March 19th 4:25pm) TBD vs. Michigan St. Louis vs. Georgia |
$51 (Including fees) |
Viejas Arena in San Diego, California
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 20th and 22nd) Arizona vs. Ryu Villanova vs Utah State University St. John’s vs. Northern Iowa Kansas State vs. California Baptist |
$526 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Friday, March 20th 10:35am) Arizona vs. Ryu Villanova vs Utah State University |
$201 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Friday, March 20th 4:10pm) St. John’s vs. Northern Iowa Kansas State vs. California Baptist |
$159 (Including fees) |
Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 20th and 22nd) Kentucky vs. Santa Clara Iowa State University vs. Tennessee State University Purdue vs. Queens Miami vs. Missouri |
$597 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Friday, March 20th 11:15am) Kentucky vs. Santa Clara Iowa State University vs. Tennessee State University |
$123 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Friday, March 20th 6:35pm) Purdue vs. Queens Miami vs. Missouri |
$188 (Including fees) |
Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 20th and 22nd) Texas Tech vs. Akron Alabama vs. Hofstra Clemson vs. Iowa Florida vs. TBD |
$499 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Friday, March 20th 12:40pm) Texas Tech vs. Akron Alabama vs. Hofstra |
$49 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Friday, March 20th 6:50pm) Clemson vs. Iowa Florida vs. TBD |
$128 (Including fees) |
Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| Team and schedule | Ticket price start with |
|---|---|
| All sessions (March 20th and 22nd) Virginia vs. Wright State University Tennessee vs. TBD UCLA vs. UCF UConn vs. Furman |
$343 (Including fees) |
| Session 1 (Friday, March 20th, 12:40pm) Virginia vs. Wright State University Tennessee vs. Miami |
$66 (Including fees) |
| Session 2 (Friday, March 20th, 7:25pm) UCLA vs. UCF UConn vs. Furman |
$77 (Including fees) |
Final Four Information
This year’s tournament will culminate in Indianapolis. The Final Four is set for Saturday, April 4th at Lucas Oil Stadium, where March Madness will reach its peak on April 6th with the National Championship Game.
Tickets for these high-stakes matchups are available.
Sweet 16 Tickets
The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games will take place across four major cities. Keeping up with ticket availability is crucial, so we’ll provide you with the best resources for getting tickets for all sessions.
March Madness 2026 Bracket
If you’re eager to start filling out brackets, a printable version is readily available below.
Watching March Madness
For those looking to enjoy the action from home, many games will air on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV. Check your local listings for specific times.
Concerts in 2026
If you’re a fan of March Madness and music, don’t miss performances from J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Don Tolliver, and Earth, Wind and Fire with Lionel Richie over the coming months.
It’s going to be an electrifying time in the world of sports and music!
