when is the march madness selection show
The 2026 March Madness men’s Selection Show is on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
🏀 Quick Scoop: When Is the March Madness Selection Show?
If you’re waiting to see your team’s name pop up on the bracket, here’s the key info:
- Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
- Time: 6:00 p.m. ET (men’s Selection Show)
- Channel: CBS (with streaming on Paramount+ and March Madness Live)
This is the official “Selection Sunday” that kicks off the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
📺 How to Watch the Selection Show
You’ll be able to tune in a few different ways:
- TV:
- CBS will carry the men’s Selection Show live at 6 p.m. ET.
- Streaming:
- Paramount+ will simulcast the CBS show.
* **March Madness Live** will also stream the bracket reveal.
Analysts break down the bracket, talk bubble teams, and react to seeding right after the reveal.
🗓️ Where it Fits in the 2026 March Madness Schedule
Selection Sunday is the first official step in the 2026 tournament timeline:
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15 – bracket revealed.
- First Four: March 17–18.
- First Round: March 19–20.
- Second Round: March 21–22.
- Sweet 16: March 26–27.
- Elite Eight: March 28–29.
- Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.
- National Championship: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Once the bracket drops on March 15, fans get a few days to fill out brackets before games tip off.
👀 What About the Women’s March Madness Selection Show?
The women’s Selection Sunday also falls on Sunday, March 15, 2026 , with the women’s bracket reveal scheduled for 8 p.m. ET , following the men’s show.
It will air on national TV (typically ESPN networks) with streaming options, and it’s treated as the start of the women’s March Madness as well.
Mini Forum-Style Take
“Selection Sunday is like Christmas Eve for college hoops fans.
You’re hyped, nervous, refreshing your bracket app every 5 seconds, and yelling at the TV when your team ends up on the 8–9 line instead of that dream 4-seed.”
Fans usually jump into:
- Arguing about who got snubbed vs. who was overseeded.
- Predicting instant Cinderella picks from 11–13 seeds.
- Sharing bracket links in group chats within minutes of the reveal.
Quick TL;DR
- When is the March Madness Selection Show?
- Men’s: Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET on CBS/Paramount+.
* Women’s: **Same day, 8 p.m. ET** , after the men’s bracket is revealed.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.