March Madness has arrived, and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is officially underway. After the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, the field has narrowed to 64 teams ready to begin the first round.
The NCAA men’s Division I basketball tournament will feature 67 total games before a national champion is crowned. The opening round begins Thursday, March 19, with a full slate of games featuring some of the biggest programs in college basketball.
Top programs such as Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and defending champion Florida are among the teams expected to make deep runs in this year’s tournament. However, the unpredictable nature of March Madness often leads to surprising upsets from smaller programs.
The tournament concludes with the Final Four on April 4 and the national championship on April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Here is the full schedule for the opening day of the first round.
March Madness Thursday Schedule: Full List of Day 1 Games
The first round begins Thursday with 16 games played throughout the day and evening across four networks.
12:15 p.m. — No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
12:40 p.m. — No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
1:30 p.m. — No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
1:50 p.m. — No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
2:50 p.m. — No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
3:15 p.m. — No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
4:05 p.m. — No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
4:25 p.m. — No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
Evening matchups continue later in the day.
6:50 p.m. — No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
7:10 p.m. — No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard (CBS)
7:25 p.m. — No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas (TBS)
7:35 p.m. — No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (TruTV)
9:25 p.m. — No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn (TNT)
9:45 p.m. — No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (CBS)
10:00 p.m. — No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
10:10 p.m. — No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
The games mark the start of the first round, which will continue on Friday before the field narrows to the Sweet 16 later in the tournament.
How to Watch & Stream 2026 Men’s NCAA College Basketball Tournament Games
Fans can watch the men’s NCAA tournament games across four networks: truTV, TBS, TNT and CBS.
Viewers who prefer streaming options can also watch games through several services.
Men’s tournament games are available to stream on HBO Max and Paramount+ with its premium subscription plan. Additional streaming options include Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Sling and Fubo, many of which offer free trials for new users.
Another option is the NCAA March Madness Live app, which allows fans to stream games free of charge. The app is available for download on Apple and Google Play devices.
March Madness Key Dates for the 2026 NCAA Tournament
The first round of the NCAA men’s tournament takes place March 19 and March 20. The second round follows March 21 and March 22.
The Sweet 16 games will be played March 26 and March 27, followed by the Elite Eight on March 28 and March 29.
The Final Four is scheduled for April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The first semifinal game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time, with the second game scheduled to tip off about 30 minutes after the first matchup concludes.
The tournament ends with the national championship game on April 6. The title game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on CBS.
By the end of the tournament, one team will cut down the nets and claim the NCAA championship.
March Madness Day 1: Full NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament Schedule for Thursday, March 19