March Madness 2026 Field Revealed With Surprises

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The full field for the 2026 men's NCAA basketball tournament has been revealed, with the First Four games starting on Tuesday in Dayton. The rest of the action begins on Thursday, with games taking place in Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City, and Portland. First-round games on Friday are set for Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis.

Why it matters

The NCAA tournament is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, with millions of fans filling out brackets and following the action. The selection of the tournament field always generates discussion and debate, as teams fight for the chance to compete for the national championship.

The details

The 2026 men's NCAA tournament field includes some surprising selections, with a number of teams making the bracket that were not necessarily expected to do so. The tournament action will begin with the First Four games in Dayton on Tuesday, before the first-round games tip off on Thursday and Friday in the various regional sites across the country.

• The First Four games will be played on Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
• The first-round games will be played on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21, 2026.

What’s next

Fans will be closely watching the action as the tournament unfolds, with the Final Four taking place in early April and the national championship game scheduled for April 7, 2026.