The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is underway, with the first round continuing through Thursday and Friday. Upsets have already marked the early stages of the competition, setting the stage for a potentially unpredictable March Madness. Duke earned the top overall seed in the 68-team bracket, followed by Arizona, Michigan, and Florida.
Thursday’s action saw No. 9 TCU defeat No. 8 Ohio State 66-64, and No. 4 Nebraska overcome No. 13 Troy 76-47. No. 6 Louisville edged out No. 11 South Florida 83-79, while No. 12 High Point surprised No. 5 Wisconsin with an 83-82 victory. Duke, the No. 1 seed in the East region, advanced with a 71-65 win over No. 16 Siena. No. 5 Vanderbilt defeated No. 12 McNeese 78-68, and No. 3 Michigan State dominated No. 14 North Dakota State 92-67. No. 4 Arkansas beat No. 13 Hawaii 97-78, and No. 11 VCU upset No. 6 North Carolina 82-78 in overtime. No. 1 Michigan cruised past No. 16 Howard 101-80, No. 11 Texas defeated No. 6 BYU 79-71, No. 10 Texas A&M beat No. 7 Saint Mary’s 63-50, No. 3 Illinois routed No. 14 Penn 105-70, and No. 9 Saint Louis defeated No. 8 Georgia 102-77. Rounding out Thursday’s games, No. 2 Houston defeated No. 15 Idaho 78-47, and No. 3 Gonzaga beat No. 14 Kennesaw State 73-64.
Friday’s games featured No. 7 Kentucky overcoming No. 10 Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime, and No. 5 Texas Tech defeating No. 12 Akron 91-71. No. 1 Arizona dominated No. 16 LIU 92-58. Further results from Friday’s games are still being reported as of this writing.
The tournament schedule continues with second-round games beginning Saturday. In the East region, No. 1 Duke will face No. 9 TCU, and No. 3 Michigan State will play No. 6 Louisville. The West region will see No. 3 Gonzaga accept on No. 11 Texas, and No. 4 Arkansas will face No. 12 High Point. In the Midwest region, No. 1 Michigan will play No. 9 Saint Louis, and No. 2 Iowa State will face No. 7 Kentucky. The South region will feature No. 3 Illinois against No. 11 VCU, and No. 2 Houston will play No. 10 Texas A&M. No. 4 Nebraska will play No. 5 Vanderbilt.
The Sweet Sixteen is scheduled for March 26 and 27, with the Elite Eight taking place on March 28 and 29. The Final Four will be held on April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, culminating in the National Championship game on April 6, also in Indianapolis. CBS Sports, TBS, TNT, and truTV will broadcast all 67 games, with streaming available on NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+, and HBO Max.