2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: March Madness first round schedule, scores and tip times by region
Get the latest updates on the 2026 March Madness bracket throughout the first and second rounds of the tournament
It’s about that time. The 2026 NCAA Tournament is through its first two days, and the bracket is sure to deliver some bangers across the first and second rounds of competition over the next four days. The field of 68 teams has already shrunken to 64 as the roller coaster continues with 16 more teams set to be eliminated by the time Thursday’s action concludes.
As the home of March Madness, CBS Sports will track every game and score, keeping you apprised of notable developments in our continuously updating live NCAA Tournament bracket with matchup analysis for every game. Sometimes, though, you want to visualize the entire bracket in a schedule format, which is precisely why we are here — so you can follow not just your team but those it may compete against on its journey to the Final Four.
Don’t forget to follow along with your printable bracket as first-round games begin Thursday. A stellar 8-9 matchup of the tournament kicks off the madness as (8) Ohio State meets (9) TCU in the opening first-round showdown. There’s a bevy of top-tier teams and showdowns set across the 12 hours that games are played Thursday, and prognosticators believe a few notable upsets are in store.
Below you will find a March Madness schedule that features viewing information for each game on the slate broken down by region. It will be updated with scores, analysis and much more — all the way through the national championship.
2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, scores
All times Eastern
East
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Buffalo
- (6) Louisville 83, (11) South Florida 79 | Recap
- (3) Michigan State 92, (14) North Dakota State 67 | Recap
Friday — San Diego
- (12) Northern Iowa vs. (5) St. John’s | 7:10 p.m., CBS
- (13) Cal Baptist vs. (4) Kansas | 9:45 p.m., CBS
Friday — Philadelphia
West
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Portland
- (12) High Point 83, (5) Wisconsin 82 | Recap
- (4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78 | Recap
- (11) Texas vs. (6) BYU | 7:25 p.m., TBS
- (14) Kennesaw State vs. (3) Gonzaga | 10 p.m., TBS
Friday — San Diego
- (16) LIU vs. (1) Arizona | 1:35 p.m., TNT
- (9) Utah State vs. (8) Villanova | 4:10 p.m., TNT
Friday — St. Louis
- (15) Queens vs. (2) Purdue | 7:35 p.m., truTV
- (10) Missouri vs. (7) Miami (FL) | 10:10 p.m., truTV
Midwest
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
Wednesday — Dayton
- (11) Miami (Ohio) 89, SMU 79
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Buffalo
- (16) Howard vs. (1) Michigan | 7:10 p.m., CBS
- (9) Saint Louis vs. (8) Georgia | 9:45 p.m., CBS
Friday — St. Louis
- (10) Santa Clara vs. (7) Kentucky | 12:15 p.m., CBS
- (15) Tennessee State vs. (2) Iowa State | 2:50 p.m., CBS
Friday — Tampa
- (12) Akron vs. (5) Texas Tech | 12:40 p.m., truTV
- (13) Hofstra vs. (4) Alabama | 3:15 p.m., truTV
Friday — Philadelphia
- (14) Wright State vs. (3) Virginia | 1:50 p.m., TBS
- (11) Miami (Ohio) vs. (6) Tennessee | 4:25 p.m., TBS
South
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday — Dayton
- (16) Prairie View 67, (16) Lehigh 55
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Thursday — Greenville
- (11) VCU vs. (6) North Carolina | 6:50 p.m., TNT
- (14) Penn vs. (3) Illinois | 9:25 p.m., TNT
Thursday — Oklahoma City
- (10) Texas A&M vs. (7) Saint Mary’s | 7:35 p.m., truTV
- (15) Idaho vs. (2) Houston | 10:10 p.m., truTV
Friday — Tampa
2026 NCAA Tournament second round schedule
Saturday, March 21 — 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
Sunday, March 22 — 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
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