The college basketball regular season is winding down, conference tournaments are approaching, and bubble teams across the country are fighting for their tournament lives. Every win and loss over the next few weeks will be scrutinized by the NCAA Selection Committee as they prepare to determine which 68 teams will dance in March Madness.
For fans, players, and coaches alike, Selection Sunday represents one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar. The moment when the bracket is revealed brings joy to some programs and heartbreak to others, as years of work culminate in either an invitation to college basketball’s biggest stage or the disappointment of being left out.
Here’s everything you need to know about when and how to watch the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket announcement.
How to Watch March Madness Bracket Announcement
Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+, CBS Sports app
The 68-team brackets for the men’s and women’s NCAA DI basketball tournaments will be revealed during selection shows, with the men’s bracket announcement coming first in the early evening slot. This timing allows the selection show to air after the conclusion of major conference tournament championship games, giving the committee final information before making their decisions.
The selection show has become a television event in its own right, with millions of fans tuning in to see where their favorite teams are seeded and which matchups the committee has created. CBS will provide extensive coverage featuring committee chair Keith Gill, analysts, and reactions from coaches and players across the country as the bracket is unveiled region by region.
Following Selection Sunday, the tournament action begins quickly. The First Four games will be played on Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. These play-in games feature the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams competing for spots in the round of 64.
The first round begins on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, with the second round following on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22. This opening weekend of tournament action is widely considered one of the best sporting events of the year, with games running from morning until late night across multiple networks.
Thirty-one automatic bids shall be awarded to each program that wins its conference’s tournament. The remaining 37 bids are “at-large”, with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. This selection process creates drama as bubble teams await their fate, with some programs celebrating unexpected invitations while others face disappointment despite strong seasons.
Current projections have teams like Michigan, Duke, Arizona, and Houston competing for number one seeds, though much can change in the final weeks of the season. The committee considers numerous factors, including overall record, strength of schedule, quality wins, and recent performance, when constructing the bracket and assigning seeds.
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