A month ago, on some level, 361 teams were alive for an NCAA Division I men's basketball championship. By Sunday evening, that number will be 68, all lined up in a bracket that will serve as the road map for a three-week tournament.
March Madness began weeks ago with the advent of conference tournaments, but it ramps up Sunday, March 15, when the NCAA selection committee reveals the 68 teams and their destinations for the first wild weekend of the men's basketball tournament.
That begins Tuesday and Wednesday with the First Four in Dayton, then 60 more teams join the dance on Thursday and Friday. More people gamble on the NCAA men's tournament than on any other event in the world, and most of that is small-money bracket games. The bracket comes out on Sunday, March 15.
When does Selection Sunday start?
The bracket for the men's NCAA Tournament will be revealed during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on March 15.
CBS will air the show, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT.
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.
When is the First Four of the NCAA Tournament?
When is the first March Madness game?
The first game of the NCAA Tournament will be on March 17 in Dayton, Ohio, in the First Four. There will be two games on March 17 and two games on March 18.
The First Four started in 2011, when the tournament expanded to 68 teams (from 64), essentially creating four play-in games. Two of those are for the four lowest-seeded teams that won conference tournament titles, while two are for the four final at-large teams. There are 37 at-large teams; those 33-37 at-larges go to the First Four.
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.
Who will be No. 1 seeds?
Per most projections, the Duke Blue Devils are in line for the No. 1 overall seed with the Michigan Wolverines, Duke Blue Devils, Arizona Wildcats and Florida Gators taking the other top lines. Houston would be next in line if any of those falter.
Who is on the bubble for the tournament?
According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi's bracketology, SMU and Texas are the last two teams in, while Oklahoma, Auburn and New Mexico are the first four out. All of them will have a chance for March Madness one way or another with the NIT.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What time is Selection Sunday for March Madness bracket reveal?