It’s the most wonderful time of the year, folks. The NCAA Tournament tips off today with 16 first-round games, and while we’re all going to be locked in on our Hawkeyes tomorrow, today is about doing what March does best — giving you an excuse to “work from home” while four games run simultaneously on your screen.
Iowa fans, circle tomorrow on your calendars. The 9-seed Hawkeye men take on 8-seed Clemson at 5:50 PM CT on TNT, sitting as slight 2.5-point favorites according to FanDuel. But today? Today we scout, we overreact, and we fill out the rest of our busted brackets.
Full Day One Schedule — Thursday, March 19
| NCAA Tournament Day One — Thursday, March 19, 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Spread | TV | Region |
| 12:15 PM | (8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCU | OSU -2.5 | CBS | East |
| 12:40 PM | (4) Nebraska vs. (13) Troy | NEB -13.5 | truTV | South |
| 1:30 PM | (6) Louisville vs. (11) South Florida | LOU -4.5 | TNT | East |
| 1:50 PM | (5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High Point | WIS -10.5 | TBS | West |
| 2:50 PM | (1) Duke vs. (16) Siena | DUKE -28.5 | CBS | East |
| 3:15 PM | (5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeese | VANDY -12.5 | truTV | South |
| 4:05 PM | (3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota St | MSU -15.5 | TNT | East |
| 4:25 PM | (4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawai’i | ARK -15.5 | TBS | West |
| 6:50 PM | (6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCU | UNC -2.5 | TNT | South |
| 7:10 PM | (1) Michigan vs. (16) Howard | MICH -30.5 | CBS | Midwest |
| 7:25 PM | (6) BYU vs. (11) Texas | BYU -2.5 | TBS | West |
| 7:35 PM | (7) Saint Mary’s vs. (10) Texas A&M | SMC -2.5 | truTV | South |
| 9:25 PM | (3) Illinois vs. (14) Penn | ILL -25.5 | TNT | South |
| 9:45 PM | (8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint Louis | UGA -2.5 | CBS | Midwest |
| 10:00 PM | (3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw St | ZAGA -21.5 | TBS | West |
| 10:10 PM | (2) Houston vs. (15) Idaho | HOU -23.5 | truTV | South |
| 🏀 IOWA (9) vs. CLEMSON (8) — Friday, March 20 — 6:50 PM ET — TNT — Iowa -2.5 |
Games of Note Day 1
Ohio State (8) vs. TCU (9) — 11:15 AM, CBS: An 8/9 game with Big Ten flavor. If you want to scout potential second-round opponents for Iowa (assuming we handle business), this is your homework assignment.
North Carolina (6) vs. VCU (11) — 5:50 PM, TNT: VCU is the kind of mid-major buzz saw that ends blue blood seasons in March. The Rams press, they create chaos, and Roy Williams successors continue to make Carolina fans sweat in the first round. This one could get weird.
BYU (6) vs. Texas (11) — 6:25 PM, TBS: Texas as an 11-seed is the kind of disrespect that fuels tournament runs. The Longhorns have the talent to make noise, and BYU has been inconsistent enough to hand them the opportunity. Grab the popcorn.
Saint Mary’s (7) vs. Texas A&M (10) — 6:35 PM, truTV: Two teams that play defense and grind possessions. This will be ugly and beautiful at the same time. Pure March basketball.
Georgia (8) vs. Saint Louis (9) — 8:45 PM, CBS: Another coin-flip 8/9 matchup to cap the night. Saint Louis has been one of the better mid-major stories this season, and Georgia is Georgia — capable of anything from a 30-point win to a head-scratching loss.
Settle in, flip between CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV like a degenerate, and enjoy the chaos. We’ll be back tomorrow with your full Iowa-Clemson preview and How to Watch guide.
Go Hawks!
