March Madness has arrived. The 68-team men's basketball bracket has been announced, Texas slid in and Houston is set up for a run.
The tournament will open with Prairie View trying to play in, while top seeds Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida line up for the Final Four. Who will advance? Print out your brackets and make your picks.
NCAA tournament bracket March Madness
THE BRACKET 🤩
Fill out yours: https://t.co/Jt9eXr7f5Tpic.twitter.com/9g8ciMYUhv
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 15, 2026
Did Texas make March Madness
Yes, the University of Texas Longhorns, as projected, were one of the last four at-large teams in. They will go to Dayton and take on North Carolina State in the First Four. That game tips Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. MT/8:10 p.m. CT on truTV.
TCU basketball
Texas Christian University finished the season 22-11 and earned No. 9 seed. The Horned Frogs will play No. 8 Ohio State at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, at 10:15 a.m. MT/11:15 a.m. CT Friday on CBS. So ye,s TCU has the privilege of playing in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
What is First Four March Madness
The First Four started in 2011 when the NCAA expanded the tournament to 68 teams (from 64). The First Four involves four games that are essentially play-in games between the last four at-large teams (34-37 at-large) and the final four conference champions (the NCAA almost always makes the HBCU schools, the MEAC, and the SWAC conference tournament winners, two of those four).
South bracket March Madness 2026
Florida, the defending national champion, is the No. 1 seed in the South. Houston, the top team in Texas, is the No. 2. No. 3 Illinois and No. 4 Nebraska, which started 20-0, are the four seeds.
Miami basketball
The Miami (Ohio) Red Hawks had a perfect 32-0 regular season before losing in the MAC tournament quarterfinals. They ended up as the top team in the First Four (essentially 32nd among at-larges) and will face SMU in a play-in game. The Wednesday, March 1 game is at 7:15 p.m. MT/8:15 CT on truTV. They are often referred to with the (Ohio) tag.
The No. 7 Miami (Florida, they rarely have that tag) Hurricanes will face the No. 20 Missouri Tigers on Friday, March 20 at 8:10 p.m MT/9:10 p.m. CT. Probably what you were asking.
First Four out March Madness
The top-seeded teams in the NIT, which is a good way to judge the first four teams out of the NCAA tournament, are Auburn, New Mexico, Tulsa and Wake Forest.
Final Four 2026
The Final Four is April 4 for the semifinals and April 6 for the national championship. The teams favored to make it are the No. 1 seeds, Duke, Arizona, Michigan and defending champion Florida.
How many teams in March Madness
68. There are 68 teams in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
Oklahoma City March Madness
Oklahoma City is hosting a regional. Here is the schedule:
Thursday, March 19
- No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy, 11:40 a.m. Thursday
- No. 5. Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese, 2:15 p.m. Thursday
- No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, 6:35 p.m. Thursday
- No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho, 9:10 p.m. Thursday
Saturday, March 21
- Nebraska/Troy, winner vs. Vanderbilt/McNeese winner
- St. Mary's/Texas A&M winner vs. Houston/Idaho winner
March Madness schedule: Key dates for NCAA Tournament
- Selection Sunday: March 15
- First Four: March 17-18
- First round: March 19-20
- Second round: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite Eight: March 28-29
- Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
- NCAA championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
Printable NCAA tournament bracket
The printable NCAA tournament bracket is on NCAA.com.
How to watch NCAA Tournament on TV in 2026
What channels will March Madness be on in 2026?
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament games will air on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
Specific television information will be released after the NCAA Tournament field is announced during the Selection Show.
Games will also be available to stream via streaming services, such as FUBO (stream with this free trial) and SlingTV.
Texas A&M basketball
The Texas A&M, a No. 20 seed, takes on No. 7 Saint Mary's. The game is set for a 5:35 p.m. tipoff on Thursday, March 19 on truTV.
Houston UH
No. 2 Houston, the top-seeded team in Texas, plays No. 15 Idaho on Thursday, March 19, at 8:20 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at 8:10 p.m. MT/9:10 p.m. CT.
Did Ole Miss make March Madness
Good news: The Ole Miss women's team made the NCAA tournament as a No. 5 seed and will play Gonzaga in the first round. That game is set for 1:30 p.m./2:30 p.m. CT Friday, March 20 on ESPN2. The men's team did not make the tournament.
March Madness bracket women
The Bracket.
🔗 https://t.co/BTd0jTculb
🎟️ https://t.co/uinvwwRlnm
📲 https://t.co/G2KeqiVWZ3#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/B2EL223z0D— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 16, 2026
Who won March Madness 2025?
Florida beat Houston 65-63 in the men's championship. In the women's game, UConn (the University of Connecticut) beat South Carolina 54-50.
Who will win March Madness?
These are the odds for the teams in the tournament to win it. Divide by 100 to discern the probabilities. So Duke is 3-1 while Michigan is 3.5-1.
- Duke, +300.
- Michigan, +350.
- Arizona, +400.
- Florida, +650.
- Houston, +900.
- Iowa State +1600.
- Illinois + 2000
- Connecticut, +2200.
- Purdue, +3000.
- Kansas, +4000.
- Arkansas, +5000.
When did March Madness start?
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's first game was in 1939. The Oregon Ducks won the eight-team tournament by defeating Ohio State 46–33 on March 27, 1939.
Per Google AI, the term "March Madness" was coined by Illinois high school official Henry V. Porter in 1939. It was not widely associated with the NCAA tournament until broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during the 1982 tournament coverage.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Who will win the NCAA tournament? Here's who is in March Madness