March Madness Kicks Off with First Four in Dayton

Miami (Ohio) and UMBC among teams competing in opening round games

Mar. 17, 2026 at 1:08am

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The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament tips off with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. The field includes several intriguing storylines, including Miami (Ohio) playing close to home and a matchup between former coaches embroiled in the 2017-19 FBI investigation into NCAA recruiting corruption.

Why it matters

The First Four games in Dayton traditionally kick off the excitement of March Madness, with teams fighting for a chance to advance to the main tournament bracket. This year's slate features several compelling narratives, including a Cinderella story in Miami (Ohio) and a high-profile coaching clash with checkered pasts.

The details

Miami (Ohio) earned an at-large bid to the tournament despite a 31-1 regular season record, as their weak schedule strength of 339th nationally kept them from securing an automatic bid. They'll face fellow 11-seed SMU in the opening round, just 43 miles from their campus. In the nightcap, former Arizona coach Sean Miller's Texas squad will take on NC State and coach Will Wade, both of whom were involved in the 2017-19 FBI investigation into NCAA corruption. The winners of those two games will advance to face higher seeds Tennessee and BYU, respectively.

  • The First Four games tip off on Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
  • Miami (Ohio) and SMU will play the first game on Wednesday, March 19, 2026.
  • Texas and NC State will face off in the late game on Wednesday, March 19, 2026.

The players

Travis Steele

Head coach of the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks basketball team.

Eian Elmer

Forward for the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks basketball team.

Sean Miller

Head coach of the Texas Longhorns basketball team, previously fired from Arizona in 2021 after being involved in the 2017-19 FBI investigation into NCAA recruiting corruption.

Will Wade

Head coach of the NC State Wolfpack basketball team, previously fired from LSU before taking the NC State job, also involved in the 2017-19 FBI investigation.

Dailyn Swain

Guard for the Texas Longhorns basketball team, a transfer from Xavier where he played under Sean Miller.

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What they’re saying

“It's going to be a great environment. Hopefully the RedHawk nation will be showing up there on Wednesday night to support us. I'm sure they will (and) it will be a home game for us.”

— Travis Steele, Head Coach, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

“I was very confident. I think it's hard to leave a team that's 31-0 in a regular season out. It just wouldn't look right for the sport, diminishing something like that, something that's very rarely done.”

— Eian Elmer, Forward, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

“We didn't finish the season as strongly as we would like. We put ourselves in this position. We're excited to be in the tournament. We're excited to be in Dayton. It's a great basketball city, great basketball fans, great basketball arena, everything.”

— Will Wade, Head Coach, NC State Wolfpack

“My first few days at Texas, I kind of joked with (teammates) about how we beat them. I never let them forget. It's definitely a funny feeling, but like I said, I think it'll be a better result for the Longhorns this time.”

— Dailyn Swain, Guard, Texas Longhorns

What’s next

The winners of the First Four games in Dayton will advance to face higher-seeded opponents in the first round of the NCAA Tournament later this week.

The takeaway

The First Four in Dayton always provides an exciting start to March Madness, and this year's slate features several compelling storylines, including a Cinderella team in Miami (Ohio) playing close to home and a matchup of coaches with checkered pasts. Fans are in for an entertaining opening to the tournament.