The men’s tournament tips off with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on March 17-18 before first-and second-round games take place at eight arenas across the country.
WASHINGTON — March Madness is almost here, and the road to the Final Four will soon kick off at arenas across the country.
The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament field were revealed on Selection Sunday, March 15, with games starting days later as teams compete for a national championship. The tournament begins with the First Four on March 17 and 18 in Dayton, Ohio, before first- and second-round action moves to multiple host cities.
Where are the first two rounds for the men’s NCAA tournament being played?
The First Four play-in games will be held at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
First-round games (round of 64) are scheduled for March 19 at:
- KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina
- Paycom Center in Oklahoma City
- Moda Center in Portland, Oregon
Additional first-round games will be played March 20 at:
- Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
- Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
- Viejas Arena in San Diego
- Enterprise Center in St. Louis
Second-round games (round of 32) will take place March 21 at the Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City and Portland sites, followed by March 22 games in Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis.
The men’s tournament continues through regional rounds before culminating with the Final Four on April 4 and the national championship game on April 6 in Indianapolis.