The snow is finally melting, and that means March — and the accompanying madness — is right around the corner.

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins in Dayton with the First Four and ends two hours to the west with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Below are the dates and venues for the entire tournament, with links to buy tickets.

Bracketology: Latest March Madness projection a month away from Selection Sunday

March Madness 2026 schedule 

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA men's tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

March Madness 2026 game locations, venues, tickets 

First- and second-round games will be held at eight cities spanning across four time zones. Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be held at regional sites before the final four teams converge on Indianapolis in early April.

Here’s a look at where 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament games will take place:

• First Four: Dayton, Ohio; UD Arena (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Buffalo, N.Y.; KeyBank Center (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Greenville, S.C.; Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Oklahoma City; Paycom Center (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Portland, Ore.; Moda Center (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Tampa; Benchmark International Arena (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: Philadelphia; Xfinity Mobile Arena (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: San Diego; Viejas Arena (Buy tickets)
• First/second round: St. Louis; Enterprise Arena (Buy tickets)
• Sweet 16/Elite Eight: Houston; Toyota Center (Buy tickets)
• Sweet 16/Elite Eight: San Jose, Calif.; SAP Center (Buy tickets)
• Sweet 16/Elite Eight: Chicago; United Center (Buy tickets)
• Sweet 16/Elite Eight: Washington, D.C.; Capital One Arena (Buy tickets)
• Final Four: Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium (Buy tickets)
• National championship: Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium (Buy tickets)

When is Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be unveiled on 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15.

Where is 2026 Final Four?

This year's men's basketball Final Four and championship games will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 4 & 6. Click here to buy tickets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA tournament 2026 schedule: March Madness dates, locations, tickets

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