First & Jenn

The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues with the remaining 16 First Round (Round of 64) games today! If you’re excited for March Madness tonight, this is the perfect day to tune in for all the action.

Action is spread across four new host sites: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, FL), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, PA), Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA), and Enterprise Center (St. Louis, MO).

Games air on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV with full streaming on March Madness Live. This is prime bracket-busting time — upsets, Cinderellas, and chaos as the field narrows.

Furthermore, basketball fans are gearing up for march madness games tonight as the tournament excitement builds to fever pitch.

Tonight’s March Madness Schedule: All 16 First-Round Games, Exact Times, TV Channels, Regions & Locations

All times Eastern (ET).

1. 12:15 p.m. ET: (7) Kentucky vs. (10) Santa Clara
   • Midwest Region
   • Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
   • TV/Stream: CBS
2. 12:40 p.m. ET: (5) Texas Tech vs. (12) Akron
   • Midwest Region
   • Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
   • TV/Stream: truTV
3. 1:35 p.m. ET: (1) Arizona vs. (16) Long Island University (LIU)
   • West Region
   • Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
   • TV/Stream: TNT
4. 1:50 p.m. ET: (3) Virginia vs. (14) Wright State
   • East Region
   • Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
   • TV/Stream: TBS
5. 2:50 p.m. ET: (2) Iowa State vs. (15) Tennessee State
   • Midwest Region
   • Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
   • TV/Stream: CBS
6. 3:15 p.m. ET: (4) Alabama vs. (13) Hofstra
   • South Region
   • Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
   • TV/Stream: truTV
7. 4:10 p.m. ET: (8) Villanova vs. (9) Utah State
   • East Region
   • Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
   • TV/Stream: TNT
8. 4:25 p.m. ET: (6) Tennessee vs. (11) Miami (Ohio)
   • Midwest/South Region (First Four winner slot)
   • Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
   • TV/Stream: TBS
9. 6:50 p.m. ET: (8) Clemson vs. (9) Iowa
   • East Region
   • Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
   • TV/Stream: TNT
10. 7:10 p.m. ET: (5) St. John’s vs. (12) Northern Iowa (UNI)
    • East Region
    • Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
    • TV/Stream: CBS
11. 7:25 p.m. ET: (7) UCLA vs. (10) UCF
    • West Region
    • Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
    • TV/Stream: TBS
12. 7:35 p.m. ET: (2) Purdue vs. (15) Queens (NC)
    • Midwest Region
    • Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
    • TV/Stream: truTV
13. 9:25 p.m. ET: (1) Florida vs. (16) Prairie View A&M
    • South Region
    • Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
    • TV/Stream: TNT
14. 9:45 p.m. ET: (4) Kansas vs. (13) Cal Baptist
    • Midwest Region
    • Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
    • TV/Stream: CBS
15. 10:00 p.m. ET: (2) UConn vs. (15) Furman
    • East Region
    • Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
    • TV/Stream: TBS
16. 10:10 p.m. ET: (7) Miami (FL) vs. (10) Missouri
    • South Region
    • Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
    • TV/Stream: truTV

These are the only men’s games today — women’s First Round continues as well. All First Round action streams via March Madness Live (free limited or TV sign-in). In summary, tonight will shape the Round of 32 with massive bracket implications.

How to Watch March Madness Tonight (Free Streams, Cable & Apps)

• TV Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV (check your cable/satellite guide — most packages include them)
• Streaming (No Cable Needed):
  • March Madness Live app/website (official free hub — sign in for full access)
  • Paramount+ (CBS games + truTV add-ons)
  • Sling TV (Orange/Blue plans cover all — cheap trial)
  • YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream (full network access)

Pro tip: Download the NCAA March Madness app now for multi-game viewing, live scores, bracket tracking, and alerts — perfect for cord-cutters chasing every upset!

Key Matchups & Storylines to Watch Tonight

Arizona vs. LIU (1:35 p.m.) — Overall top seed Arizona opens vs. 16-seed LIU—title contenders, but 16-seeds have history of shocks.

Kentucky vs. Santa Clara (12:15 p.m.) — Classic 7-10 upset special (coin-flip territory)—Kentucky brings blue-blood pressure.

Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio) (4:25 p.m.) — 6-11 prime chaos (39% upset rate)—First Four winner could wreck brackets early.

Florida vs. Prairie View A&M (9:25 p.m.) — Defending champs Florida vs. 16-seed Prairie View A&M—chalk city, but drama if the SWAC champ pulls magic.

UConn vs. Furman (10:00 p.m.) — Back-to-back champs UConn vs. 15-seed Furman—low upset odds, but March Madness magic.

Notably, march madness games tonight march 20 are expected to deliver plenty of upsets and memorable storylines—target those 11/12/13 seeds for your pool!

What Tonight’s Games Mean for Your Bracket

First round is bracket destruction central — ~8-10 upsets average per tournament. Nail 11/12/13-seed picks (Miami Ohio, Akron, Hofstra, etc.) for winning edges. Winners advance to Round of 32 (Sat/Sun) — update live via app (no changes post-tipoff). In conclusion, the march madness games tonight are particularly influential for bracket strategy—get those upsets right to cash in!

Full Tournament Schedule: What’s Next After Tonight

• Tomorrow/Saturday-Sunday (March 21-22): Second round (Round of 32).
• Sweet 16: March 26-27.
• Final Four: April 4 & 6 in Indianapolis.

Bookmark this page for daily March Madness 2026 updates—we’ll recap today’s results and preview the Round of 32 tomorrow. Who’s your biggest upset pick tonight? Share in the comments or on X.