The wait is over. It’s time to fill out your March Madness 2026 bracket.
Sixty-eight teams will play 67 games, and only one team will cut down the nets at the end of it all to be crowned champions of the college basketball world.
It all begins on Tuesday, March 17, when the lowest-seeded teams will play in the First Four in Dayton to advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Florida Gators are the reigning champions and begin their defense as a No. 1 seed.
Duke, Arizona and Michigan were awarded the other No. 1 seeds, with the Blue Devils earning the top overall seed in the East region.
The full March Madness bracket. New York PostLocally, No. 5 St. John’s will face No. 12 Northern Iowa in the East region, No. 13 Hofstra takes on No. 4 Alabama in the Midwest region and No. 16 LIU squares off against No. 1 Arizona in the West region.
Miami Ohio, undefeated until a MAC quarterfinal loss to UMass, got in as an at-large but will have to play in the First Four against SMU for the right to be the No. 11 seed in the Midwest against No. 6 Tennessee.
The first round, and in many cases the deadline to submit your brackets to your friends and pools, will be on Thursday, early afternoon, when the first games tip off.
Round 2 of March Madness will hit center stage on Saturday and Sunday before we hit a bit of a lull early the following week.
The Sweet 16 doesn’t tip off until Thursday, March 26, which will narrow the field down to eight.
The Elite Eight begins on March 28, followed by the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4 and the national championship game on April 6.
Snag your printable March Madness 2026 bracket, and with a few lucky bounces, you could be the one earning some serious bragging rights with your family, friends and co-workers.
