when are march madness finals
2026 March Madness Finals Schedule
The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament finals, known as the Final Four and
championship, are set for early April in Indianapolis. This follows the Elite
Eight concluding just days ago on March 29.
Final Four Semifinals
Both semifinal games happen on Saturday, April 4, 2026 , at Lucas Oil
Stadium.
- First game tips off at 6 p.m. ET, airing on TBS.
- Second game follows at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Lucas Oil Stadium hosts these high-stakes matchups, drawing massive crowds for the penultimate stage of March Madness.
National Championship Game
The winner-takes-all final tips off on Monday, April 6, 2026 , at 9:20
p.m. ET, also at Lucas Oil Stadium. CBS broadcasts this climactic showdown
between the two surviving teams.
Tournament Timeline Recap
- Selection Sunday: March 15
- First/Second Rounds: March 18–21
- Sweet 16: March 26–27
- Elite Eight: March 28–29
- Final Four: April 4
- Championship: April 6
This schedule aligns with the standard three-week format, building from 68 teams to a single champion. Fans can stream via NCAA March Madness app or Paramount+, with multiview options for simultaneous games.
Quick Viewing Tips
- Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis (second time since 2021).
- Broadcast: TBS (semis), CBS (final).
- Doors typically open hours before tip-off PT/ET—check NCAA.com for real-time updates.
Why It Matters Now
As of March 31, 2026, the tournament is in its final stretch post-Elite Eight
thrillers like UConn's buzzer-beater over Duke. Expect bracket challenges and
hype around top seeds advancing unusually deep.
TL;DR
Final Four: Sat, April 4; Championship: Mon, April 6—both at Lucas Oil
Stadium, Indianapolis.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.