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It’s about that time. The 2026 NCAA Tournament is through its first two days, and the bracket is sure to deliver some bangers across the first and second rounds of competition over the next four days. The field of 68 teams has already shrunken to 64 as the roller coaster continues with 16 more teams set to be eliminated by the time Thursday’s action concludes.
As the home of March Madness, CBS Sports will track every game and score, keeping you apprised of notable developments in our continuously updating live NCAA Tournament bracket with matchup analysis for every game. Sometimes, though, you want to visualize the entire bracket in a schedule format, which is precisely why we are here — so you can follow not just your team but those it may compete against on its journey to the Final Four.
Follow live scores and updates from the first round of 2026 March Madness.
Don’t forget to follow along with your printable bracket as first-round games begin Thursday. A stellar 8-9 matchup of the tournament kicks off the madness as (8) Ohio State meets (9) TCU in the opening first-round showdown. There’s a bevy of top-tier teams and showdowns set across the 12 hours that games are played Thursday, and prognosticators believe a few notable upsets are in store.
Below you will find a March Madness schedule that features viewing information for each game on the slate broken down by region. It will be updated with scores, analysis and much more — all the way through the national championship.
2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, scores
All times Eastern
East
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — San Diego
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
- (1) Duke vs. (9) TCU | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Buffalo
- (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Louisville | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — San Diego
- (5) St. John’s vs. (4) Kansas/(13) Cal Baptist
Sunday — Philadelphia
- (7) UCLA vs. (2) UConn/(15) Furman
West
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Portland
Friday — San Diego
Friday — St. Louis
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Portland
- (3) Gonzaga (11) Texas | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
- (4) Arkansas vs. (12) High Point | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
Sunday — San Diego
- (1) Arizona vs. (9) Utah State
Sunday — St. Louis
- (2) Purdue vs. (7) Miami (FL)/(10) Missouri
Midwest
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — St. Louis
Friday — Tampa
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Buffalo
- (1) Michigan vs. (9) Saint Louis | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — St. Louis
- (2) Iowa State vs. (7) Kentucky
Sunday — Tampa
- (4) Alabama vs. (5) Texas Tech
Sunday — Philadelphia
- (3) Virginia vs. (6) Tennessee
South
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Friday — Tampa
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
- (3) Illinois vs. (11) VCU | 7:50 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Oklahoma City
- (2) Houston vs. (10) Texas A&M | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
- (4) Nebraska vs. (5) Vanderbilt | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Tampa
- (1) Florida/(16) Prairie View vs. (8) Iowa
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS)
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Friday, March 27 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS)
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS)
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Sunday, March 29 — 2:15 p.m. start (CBS)
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Final Four
Saturday, April 4 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
National Championship
Monday, April 6 — 8:50 p.m. (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
