The first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, emanating from various neutral sites across the country, begins on Thursday, as the road to the Final Four in Indianapolis is officially underway. By the end of Friday, 32 teams will have advanced to the second round, while the other 32 will see their seasons come to a premature close.

There are plenty of storylines and marquee games to ponder on Thursday’s slate. The first game of the first round features (8) Ohio State against (9) TCU with the winner of that game getting either No. 1 overall seed Duke or (16) Siena in the second round on Saturday.

Follow live scores and updates from the first round of 2026 March Madness

One of the main themes of this tournament is star freshmen leading their respective teams to the Big Dance. The leading scorer for 13 of the 68 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament is a freshman. One of those players who will play on Thursday is BYU star AJ Dybantsa, who is averaging 25.3 points per game, ranking No. 1 among all Division I players. Dybantsa and (6) BYU face (11) Texas, a team fresh off a win over NC State in the First Four.

While last season didn’t produce as many first-round upsets as fans are accustomed to seeing, there are plenty of Cinderella candidates to ponder. One of them may well be (11) South Florida. The Bulls have a matchup against (6) Louisville, a team that will be without its best player in the first round due to a back injury: Mikel Brown Jr.

Here is the full first-round schedule and beyond to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament, and be sure to follow the live bracket throughout March Madness.

2026 NCAA Tournament schedule, dates

First round

Thursday, March 19
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)

Friday, March 20
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)

Second round

Saturday, March 21 — 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)

Sunday, March 22 — 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)