March Madness schedule: When do First Four games start? Who is playing?

The wait is over.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament will finally commence with the First Four games on Tuesday, March 17, from Dayton, Ohio. That means March Madness is finally upon us.

March Madness expert picks: Bracket predictions for 2026 NCAA Tournament

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What channel is truTV? How to watch First Four, March Madness games

UMBC and Howard will kick off the action at 6:40 p.m. from UD Arena with a matchup that will determine the No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region, with the winner taking on No. 1 Michigan.

The second game will pit Texas against North Carolina State to decide the No. 11 seed in the West Region, and the first opponent for No. 6 seed BYU.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

VCU Rams (27-7)
VCU closed the season with a 21-3 record over the final 24 games and won 16 of its last 17 games. A matchup against No. 6 North Carolina in the first round, before a potential matchup against No. 3 Illinois, sets up the Rams as well as an 11-seed can be set up.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

VCU Rams (27-7)
VCU closed the season with a 21-3 record over the final 24 games and won 16 of its last 17 games. A matchup against No. 6 North Carolina in the first round, before a potential matchup against No. 3 Illinois, sets up the Rams as well as an 11-seed can be set up.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (31-1)
With 90.7 points per game, Miami was second in the nation in points per game, trailing only Alabama, while leading the nation with 52.4% shooting from the field.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

South Florida Bulls (24-8)
South Florida enters the NCAA Tournament on an 11-game winning streak. winning the American Conference tournament championship game 70-55 over Wichita State.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

Troy Trojans (22-11)
Troy could be the biggest Cinderella this year after winning back-to-back Sun Belt tournament titles.  Nebraska is officially on upset alert with a matchup against Troy.

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March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset

Saint Louis Billikens…

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Publish date : 2026-03-17 21:19:00

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