The 2026 NCAA Tournament field is set, and March Madness is officially here.
Selection Sunday on March 15 revealed the 68-team bracket, and fans across the country are now scrambling to fill out their brackets before the First Four tips off on Tuesday, March 17 . Whether you’re a seasoned bracketologist or just hoping to beat your co-workers, we’ve got everything you need to follow the action.
Download Your Printable 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket
For fans who prefer the old-school method of pen and paper, a printable bracket is essential. Sporting News offers a free, downloadable PDF bracket featuring the full field of 68 teams .
Click here to download the Sporting News printable NCAA Tournament bracket (PDF) .
The bracket is formatted with clear lines for each region—West, Midwest, East, and South—allowing you to track every upset and Cinderella run from the First Four through the national championship game .
2026 March Madness Schedule: Key Dates and Locations
The road to Indianapolis is mapped out. Here are the key dates for this year’s tournament :
| Round | Dates | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 15 | CBS (6 p.m. ET) |
| First Four | March 17-18 | Dayton, Ohio (UD Arena) |
| First Round | March 19-20 | Campus sites / neutral venues |
| Second Round | March 21-22 | Campus sites / neutral venues |
| Sweet 16 | March 26-27 | Regional sites |
| Elite Eight | March 28-29 | Regional sites |
| Final Four | April 4 | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis |
| National Championship | April 6 | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis |
First and Second Round Host Cities
The opening weekend of the tournament will be spread across eight cities :
- Buffalo, NY (KeyBank Center) — March 19 & 21
- Greenville, SC (Bon Secours Wellness Arena) — March 19 & 21
- Oklahoma City, OK (Paycom Center) — March 19 & 21
- Portland, OR (Moda Center) — March 19 & 21
- Tampa, FL (Benchmark International Arena) — March 20 & 22
- Philadelphia, PA (Xfinity Mobile Arena) — March 20 & 22
- San Diego, CA (Viejas Arena) — March 20 & 22
- St. Louis, MO (Enterprise Center) — March 20 & 22
Regional Sites (Sweet 16 & Elite Eight)
- South Regional: Houston, TX (Toyota Center) — March 26 & 28
- West Regional: San Jose, CA (SAP Center) — March 26 & 28
- Midwest Regional: Chicago, IL (United Center) — March 27 & 29
- East Regional: Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena) — March 27 & 29
Bracket Deadlines and Scoring
When is your bracket due?
The deadline to submit most brackets is 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 19—the tipoff time of the first Round of 64 game . Note that First Four games (March 17-18) typically do not count in standard bracket scoring pools .
How scoring works:
The most common scoring system rewards correct picks with escalating points as the tournament progresses :
- First Round: 1 point per correct pick
- Second Round: 2 points per correct pick
- Sweet 16: 4 points per correct pick
- Elite Eight: 8 points per correct pick
- Final Four: 16 points per correct pick
- Championship: 32 points for picking the winner
2026 Men’s Tournament Bracket Preview
While the full bracket with matchups is now available, here are the top seeds in each region based on the Selection Sunday reveal :
East Region
- Duke
- UConn
- Michigan State
- Kansas
West Region
- Arizona
- Purdue
- Gonzaga
- Arkansas
Midwest Region
- Michigan
- Iowa State
- Virginia
- Alabama
South Region
- Florida
- Houston
- Illinois
- Nebraska
Duke, led by freshman sensation Cameron Boozer, enters the tournament as a powerhouse after a 29-2 regular season . Michigan, under coach Dusty May, is also a strong contender for a Final Four run .
Women’s Tournament: Printable Bracket and Schedule
The women’s NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN .
Download the women’s printable bracket here .
Women’s Tournament Key Dates :
- First Four: March 18-19
- First Round: March 20-21
- Second Round: March 22-23
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-30
- Final Four: April 3 (Phoenix, AZ)
- National Championship: April 5 (Phoenix, AZ)
Reigning national champion UConn enters the tournament undefeated (34-0) and is seeking its 13th NCAA title .
Tips for Filling Out Your Bracket
Play the odds: When picking the national champion, lean toward No. 1 seeds. They have won the majority of titles in both men’s and women’s tournaments .
Don’t get too cute: History shows that your Final Four should include a lot of “chalk”—meaning high seeds . The past three decades are filled with examples of great teams that didn’t win it all .
First Four doesn’t count: Remember that play-in games generally don’t affect standard bracket scoring, so don’t overthink them .
