The road to the NCAA Tournament officially begins with Selection Sunday, the highly anticipated day when the full bracket for March Madness is revealed. College basketball fans across the country tune in to see which teams make the tournament and how the 68-team field is seeded.
Here is everything you need to know about 2026 March Madness Selection Sunday, including the date, time, and how to watch live.
When Is Selection Sunday 2026?
Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will take place on:
Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM ET
TV Channel: CBS
During the broadcast, the NCAA selection committee will unveil the entire 68-team bracket, including the four regions, seeding, and matchups for the First Four and the first round of the tournament.
Selection Sunday marks the official start of March Madness and is the moment fans begin filling out their brackets.
How to Watch 2026 Selection Sunday
Fans can watch the March Madness bracket reveal live through several platforms.
Television
- CBS
Streaming Options
- Paramount+
- NCAA March Madness Live app
- YouTube TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- DirecTV Stream
- FuboTV
Most live TV streaming services that carry CBS will also provide access to the Selection Sunday broadcast.
What Happens After Selection Sunday
After the bracket announcement, the NCAA Tournament begins just two days later with the First Four games. Below is the expected schedule for the 2026 March Madness tournament.
First Four: March 17–18, 2026
First Round: March 19–20, 2026
Second Round: March 21–22, 2026
Sweet 16: March 26–27, 2026
Elite Eight: March 28–29, 2026
Final Four: April 4, 2026
National Championship: April 6, 2026
The Final Four and national championship game will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Why Selection Sunday Matters
Selection Sunday is one of the most exciting days in college basketball. Teams on the tournament bubble wait anxiously to hear their names called, while fans analyze matchups, predict Cinderella stories, and begin filling out brackets for office pools and online contests.
For many fans, Selection Sunday officially signals that March Madness has arrived, bringing three weeks of intense college basketball action leading up to the national championship.
As the 2026 NCAA Tournament approaches, millions of viewers will tune in on March 15 to see the bracket revealed and the journey to the Final Four begin.