where are the march madness games played

June 28, 2026

The 2026 men’s March Madness games are played at arenas all across the U.S., starting in Dayton and ending with the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Here’s the quick breakdown for where are the March Madness games played this year:

First Four

University of Dayton Arena – Dayton, Ohio.

First and Second Rounds (opening weekend)

These are the host cities and arenas for the round of 64 and round of 32.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Round</th>
      <th>City</th>
      <th>Arena</th>
      <th>Dates (2026)</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>First Four</td>
      <td>Dayton, OH</td>
      <td>UD Arena</td>
      <td>March 16–17</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Buffalo, NY</td>
      <td>KeyBank Center</td>
      <td>March 19 &amp; 21</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Greenville, SC</td>
      <td>Bon Secours Wellness Arena</td>
      <td>March 19 &amp; 21</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Oklahoma City, OK</td>
      <td>Paycom Center</td>
      <td>March 19 &amp; 21</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Portland, OR</td>
      <td>Moda Center</td>
      <td>March 19 &amp; 21</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Tampa, FL</td>
      <td>Benchmark International Arena</td>
      <td>March 20 &amp; 22</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>Philadelphia, PA</td>
      <td>Xfinity Mobile Arena</td>
      <td>March 20 &amp; 22</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>San Diego, CA</td>
      <td>Viejas Arena</td>
      <td>March 20 &amp; 22</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1st/2nd</td>
      <td>St. Louis, MO</td>
      <td>Enterprise Center</td>
      <td>March 20 &amp; 22</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Regionals (Sweet 16 & Elite Eight)

These sites host the regional finals – East, South, Midwest, and West.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Region</th>
      <th>City</th>
      <th>Arena</th>
      <th>Dates (2026)</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>South Regional</td>
      <td>Houston, TX</td>
      <td>Toyota Center</td>
      <td>March 26 &amp; 28</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>West Regional</td>
      <td>San Jose, CA</td>
      <td>SAP Center</td>
      <td>March 26 &amp; 28</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Midwest Regional</td>
      <td>Chicago, IL</td>
      <td>United Center</td>
      <td>March 27 &amp; 29</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>East Regional</td>
      <td>Washington, D.C.</td>
      <td>Capital One Arena</td>
      <td>March 27 &amp; 29</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Final Four and Championship

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana, hosts both the Final Four and the national title game in 2026.

Think of it like a national roadshow: early rounds spread across NBA-style arenas, then everything funnels into Indy for the Final Four climax.

From a “trending topic” angle, a lot of current forum chatter is about:

How often Indianapolis keeps landing the Final Four.

Newer/renamed arenas like Benchmark International Arena in Tampa and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly entering the March Madness rotation.

TL;DR: For 2026, March Madness games are played in Dayton for the First Four, then eight host cities for the first two rounds, four big-city arenas for the regionals, and finally at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the Final Four and title game.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.