Selection Sunday for 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Announced

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The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS. The selection show will feature analysis from the NCAA Selection Committee and reactions from teams across the country as they learn their tournament fate.

Why it matters

Selection Sunday marks the culmination of the college basketball regular season and the start of the highly anticipated March Madness tournament. Millions of fans tune in to see where their favorite teams are seeded and which matchups the committee has created, making it one of the most anticipated events on the sports calendar.

The details

The 68-team brackets for the men's and women's NCAA Division I basketball tournaments will be revealed during the selection shows, with the men's bracket announcement coming first in the early evening slot. This timing allows the selection show to air after the conclusion of major conference tournament championship games, giving the committee final information before making their decisions.

• The selection show will air on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
• The First Four games will be played on Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
• The first round of the tournament begins on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, with the second round following on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22.

What’s next

Following Selection Sunday, the tournament action begins quickly with the First Four games on March 17-18, and the first round starting on March 19.