College campuses across the United States are in the midst of a hoops frenzy. It’s time for March Madness again, one of the best times of the year to be a basketball fans and you can book your seats today.
Non-stop excitement is guaranteed from opening night on Tuesday, March 17, until the NCAA basketball champions are crowned at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday, April 6. There are 67 matches in total to savour.
Let GOAL take you through all the vital March Madness ticket information you need to know, including where to purchase them, how much they will cost and what the tournament schedule looks like.
When is March Madness 2026?
March Madness 2026 will take place over a 21-day period from Tuesday, March 17 to Monday, April 6. The breakdown of the tournament is as follows:
| Round | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| First Four | March 17-18 | Tickets |
| First Round | March 19-20 | Tickets |
| Second Round | March 21-22 | Tickets |
| Sweet Sixteen | March 26-27 | Tickets |
| Elite Eight | March 28-29 | Tickets |
| Final Four | April 4 | Tickets |
| National Championship Game | April 6 | Tickets |
How to buy March Madness 2026 tickets
Although official March Madness 2026 tickets have been available since the end of 2025 via the NCAA site, the demand for tickets will increase after 'Selection Sunday' (March 15), once the full detailed bracket/draw is announced and fans know what confirmed fixture details.
Multiple ticketing options are on offer, especially for the early rounds of the tournament, where fans can choose to buy either session (up to 4 games), day (up to 8 games), or venue (up to 16 games) packages.
A number of hospitality packages are also available via the On Location site. Packages vary by event, but can include official game tickets, premium hospitality, all-inclusive food and beverages, pregame events, exclusive tournament access, and optional hotel accommodations.
As well as buying March Madness tickets via official routes, fans do have the option to obtain them on the secondary market, like on StubHub.
How much are March Madness 2026 tickets?
Official March Madness tickets vary in price depending on a number of factors, including package type, stage of competition, venue and seat location. Examples of that price range are as follows:
- First Four: from $65
- First Round: from $69
- Second Round: from $160
- Sweet Sixteen: from $193
- Elite Eight: from $236
- Final Four: from $332
- National Championship Game: from $242
Remember to keep tabs on the NCAA site for additional information about ticket availability. On secondary resale sites such as StubHub, March Madness prices are available from $80 upwards.
What to expect from March Madness 2026
The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament will again be a single-elimination competition. Out of 355 eligible college outfits, 68 will participate in the tournament. Since 2022, 32 of the 68 qualified by winning their individual conference tournaments.
The remaining 36 sides are decided by a selection committee (NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee). So even though some of the bigger/well-known teams may fail to win their conference tournaments, they know they are very likely/guaranteed to receive a wildcard/at-large berth on ‘Selection Sunday’ (March 15). The Selection Committee also seeds the field from 1 to 68.
Florida held their nerve to claim a 65-63 victory against Houston in San Antonio, Texas in the March Madness curtain-closer, the National Championship Game, twelve months ago. It was the Gators’ third championship win in total. Florida heads into this year’s tournament as one of the favourites again, aiming to go back-to-back as they did in 2006 & 2007.
Of the other sides with 3+ championship title wins, Duke looks to have the best chance of going all the way again. They’ve just lost twice this season and sit top of the Associated Press poll (AP poll) rankings.
Sit back, enjoy, and expect the unexpected over the coming weeks. The fact that 20 different teams have reached the last five NCAA Tournament Final Four stages shows how open the competition can be.
What are the March Madness 2026 venues?
| Round | Date | Venue (City) |
|---|---|---|
| First Four | March 17-18 | UD Arena (Dayton, OH) |
| First/Second | March 19 & 21 | KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY) |
| Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, SC) | ||
| Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, OK) | ||
| Moda Center (Portland, OR) | ||
| March 20 & 22 | Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, FL) | |
| Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
| Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA) | ||
| Enterprise Center (St. Louis, MO) | ||
| Elite 8/Sweet 16 (South Regional) | March 26 & 28 | Toyota Center (Houston, TX) |
| Elite 8/Sweet 16 (West Regional) | SAP Center (San Jose, CA) | |
| Elite 8/Sweet 16 (Midwest Regional) | United Center (Chicago, IL) | |
| Elite 8/Sweet 16 (East Regional) | Capital One Arena (Washington, DC) | |
| Final Four & Final | April 4 & 6 | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN) |