March Madness 2026

CHAMPIONSHIP: Michigan 69, UConn 63 FINAL — Wolverines win first title since 1989. Morez Johnson Jr. double-double (12/10); McKenney clutch 3 with 2 min left seals it; Cadeau 19 pts in losing effort; Michigan shot 25-28 from the line (89%). Final Four Semis: SF1 UConn 71, Illinois 62 (Reed Jr. 17/11, Mullins dagger 3 with 52s left); SF2 Michigan 91, Arizona 73 (Mará career-high 26 pts, McKenney 16).

Saturday: Illinois 71, Iowa 59 FINAL — Illini to Final Four; Arizona 109, Purdue 88 FINAL — Wildcats in back-to-back 100+ games. Sunday: Michigan 95, Tennessee 62 FINAL — Wolverines dominated wire-to-wire, Lendeborg 27 pts; Michigan reaches first Final Four since 1989. UConn 73, Duke 72 FINAL — one of the great tournament buzzer-beaters: Duke led by 19 in the first half, UConn stormed back, and freshman Braylon Mullins hit a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left. Cameron Boozer had 27 in a heartbreaking loss. UConn is going back to Indianapolis — all four Final Four teams set.

All times ET • CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV • 16 games Sat–Sun to set the Sweet 16

All times ET • CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV • ✓ = Final • Winner advances to Sweet 16

All times ET • CBS & TBS • 4 regional sites • ⚬ = Upcoming

All 16 Friday games final • Florida 114 PVAM 55 • Kansas 68 Cal Baptist 60 • UConn 82 Furman 71 (Reed 31/27) • Miami FL 80 Missouri 66 • Iowa 67 Clemson 61 • Purdue 104 Queens 71 (Smith breaks assists record)

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  Penn Quakers — No. 14 Seed, South Region — Eliminated. Penn’s run ended in a tough 105–70 loss to No. 3 Illinois in Greenville, SC. The Quakers were unable to get their three-point shooting going against the Illini’s smothering defense. TJ Mirkovic led Penn with 29 points and 17 rebounds in defeat — a remarkable individual effort in a losing cause. It was still a historic season for Penn: their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018, and they earned it the right way by stunning Yale in the Ivy League championship.
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  Villanova Wildcats — No. 8 Seed, West Region — Eliminated. Villanova’s tournament run ended Friday evening with an 86–76 loss to No. 9 Utah State — a genuine upset on paper. Mason Falslev scored 22 and the Aggies closed the game on a decisive 15–3 run that the Wildcats could not answer. It was a disappointing result for a program still working to recapture the magic of the Jay Wright era. Villanova led at points during the game but couldn’t hold on when the Aggies turned up the pressure.

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  Michigan 69, UConn 63 — Wolverines Are 2026 NCAA Champions. Michigan ended a 37-year championship drought Monday night in Indianapolis, defeating UConn 69–63 to claim the program’s first national title since 1989. Morez Johnson Jr. delivered a double-double (12 pts, 10 reb) and Tarris Reed Jr. hauled in 14 rebounds. Trey McKenney hit the dagger three-pointer with under two minutes left. Michigan shot 89% from the free throw line (25-28). UConn’s Elliot Cadeau led all scorers with 19 points and Alex Karaban added 17, but the Huskies shot just 31% — enough to lose by 6 in a game that felt tighter than the score. Michigan finishes 37-3 and brought the Big Ten its first national title in 26 years.
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  UConn 73, Duke 72 — Mullins Buzzer-Beater Stuns the 1-Seed. One of the great East Regional finals in tournament history ended in miraculous fashion. Duke — the No. 1 overall seed — led by 19 in the first half and still led by 15 at halftime. Then UConn mounted a stunning second-half comeback. With 0.4 seconds left and the score tied, Duke’s Cayden Boozer inbounded — the pass was deflected, UConn recovered, and freshman Braylon Mullins launched a ~35-foot prayer that went through the net to send the Huskies to Indianapolis. Cameron Boozer had 27 points for Duke but also was at the center of a string of costly second-half turnovers. The defending champions — UConn — are going back to the Final Four for the third time in four years. Duke’s title hopes end in heartbreak.
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  Michigan 95, Tennessee 62 — Wolverines Are Going to Indianapolis. Michigan was dominant from the opening tip, running away from Tennessee in one of the most lopsided Elite Eight results in recent memory. Yaxel Lendeborg posted 27 points once again — his third consecutive outstanding tournament performance — as the Wolverines outclassed a Tennessee team that had real upset potential going in. The final margin of 33 points speaks for itself. Michigan’s first Final Four since 1989 is no fluke — this team has won every tournament game by double digits and has looked like a different level from their opponents. The Midwest bracket’s best team is going where they deserve to go.
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  Arizona 109, Purdue 88 — Wildcats Torch Two Teams in a Row. Arizona has now scored 109 points in back-to-back tournament games — 109-88 over Arkansas in the Sweet 16, and 109-88 over Purdue in the Elite Eight. Koa Peat led Saturday with 22 points, Brayden Burries added 18, Ivan Kharchenkov 16. The Wildcats shot 57% and outscored Purdue 58–36 in the paint — simply imposing their will on one of the nation’s best frontcourts. Six Wildcats scored 14+ points, setting an NCAA Tournament record for scoring distribution. Arizona is going to Indianapolis. No one in this field is playing better basketball right now.
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  Illinois 65, Houston 55 — Illini Beat the Cougars at Their Own Game. In one of the tournament’s most significant upsets, Illinois ended Kelvin Sampson’s national title hopes with a suffocating defensive masterpiece. The Illini ran a 17-0 second-half run to seize control and never let Houston back in. Holding the Cougars — one of the nation’s premier defensive programs — to 55 points was a statement performance. Houston’s run of seven consecutive Sweet 16 appearances ends. Illinois now faces Iowa (9-seed) in a wildly compelling South Regional final on Saturday at Toyota Center — two teams that shocked the field meeting for a Final Four berth.
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  Sweet 16 Preview — Duke vs. St. John's Is the Game of the Round. Friday's East matchup between No. 1 Duke and No. 5 St. John's at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. may be the most compelling Sweet 16 game on the board. Cameron Boozer's Blue Devils are the overall No. 1 seed, but St. John's has proven they can win ugly (their 67–65 elimination of Kansas shows they can execute in crunch time). Dylan Darling's buzzer-beating layup over Peterson is the kind of confidence-building moment that carries teams deep into March. Boozer vs. Ejiofor is the individual matchup to watch.
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  Sweet 16 Preview — Michigan vs. Alabama Midwest Heavyweight. Michigan arrives at the United Center having won both tournament games by 23+ points on 55%+ shooting. Alabama arrives having torched Texas Tech for 19 threes in a blowout. These are the two most dominant offenses remaining in the Midwest bracket. D.J. Philon Jr. vs. Yaxel Lendeborg is the matchup within the matchup. This game has Final Four consequences — the winner faces either Iowa State or Tennessee for the Midwest's Elite Eight spot.
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  Illinois 71, Iowa 59 — Illini Are Going to Indianapolis. Illinois advances to their first Final Four since 2005, completing a dominant run through the South Region. The Illini delivered the same formula they used to end Houston — suffocating defense, controlled tempo, and a decisive second-half run. Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz and the Hawkeyes pushed hard but couldn’t match Illinois’ physicality. The 9-seed Hawkeyes’ remarkable Cinderella story — upsetting No. 1 Florida, Nebraska, and nearly Illinois — ends here. They gave the tournament its best underdog run of the year.
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  Sweet 16 Preview — UConn–Michigan State Is the East's Measuring Stick. Tarris Reed Jr. and the Huskies are many analysts' favorite to reach the Final Four from the East. Standing in their way is Michigan State — Jeremy Fears Jr.'s team has been arguably the tournament's most complete unit. Fears' 16-assist game against Louisville set a Big Ten 50-year record. This is a prime-time game at Capital One Arena on Friday night that will live up to its billing — two powerhouses with no weaknesses meeting in the round of eight.
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  Alabama 90, Texas Tech 65 — Tide Erupts for 19 Three-Pointers in Blowout. The Crimson Tide closed out Round 2 with a stunning offensive performance against the Red Raiders, pouring in 19 three-pointers in a dominant 90–65 win. D.J. Philon Jr. led the charge as Alabama advanced to face (1) Michigan in the Midwest Sweet 16 — a collision between the two most dominant Midwest teams. Texas Tech, who had looked dangerous in their Round 1 win over Akron, had no answer for Alabama’s perimeter attack. The matchup with Michigan will be a heavyweight showdown with Final Four implications.
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  UConn 73, UCLA 57 — Huskies Look Like Defending Champions. UConn closed out Round 2 with a dominant 73–57 win over UCLA, and they looked like the most complete team in the East in doing so. Tarris Reed Jr. continues to be impossible to contain inside — his historic 31-point, 27-rebound game in Round 1 set the tone for this tournament run. The Huskies advance to face (3) Michigan State, a marquee East Sweet 16 matchup between two storied programs. UCLA, who had upset UCF in Round 1, simply couldn’t match UConn’s size and depth.
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  Houston 88, Texas A&M 57 — Cougars Bulldoze Their Way to the Sweet 16. Houston made short work of Texas A&M in a dominant performance that was never in doubt. Emanuel Sharp led with 18 points and the Cougars controlled the boards 46–29 while holding Texas A&M to 35% shooting. Chris Cenac Jr. added 17 points and 9 rebounds. Houston extends its streak to seven consecutive Sweet 16 appearances — the longest active run in the country — and looks like a legitimate Final Four threat in the South.
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  Duke 81, TCU 58 — Boozer Takes Over in the Second Half. Cameron Boozer scored just 2 points in the first half while TCU hung with the 1-seed. Then he erupted: 17 second-half points as Duke outscored TCU 43–18 after the break to turn a tight game into a blowout. Duke looked dangerous when Boozer got rolling, shooting 61.5% in the second half. The Blue Devils are in the Sweet 16 and looking like the powerhouse their seeding suggested.
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  Texas 74, Gonzaga 68 — First Four Team Shocks the Zags. Texas — who needed a buzzer-beater from Tramon Mark just to get out of the First Four — has now won three straight to reach the Sweet 16 as an 11-seed. Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis combined for 34 points against Graham Ike's 25-point effort for Gonzaga. Texas now has 11 NCAA Tournament wins as a double-digit seed — the most of any program in the modern era. The Longhorns are the tournament's great survivor story.
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  Illinois 63, VCU 46 — Illini Contain the Comeback Artists. VCU electrified the tournament in Round 1 by erasing a 19-point deficit to stun North Carolina in overtime. Illinois gave them no such opportunity. Andrej Stojakovic scored 19 to lead a clinical Illini performance that never allowed VCU to build momentum. Illinois held VCU to 34% shooting. The Illini advance to the Sweet 16 looking like a dangerous 3-seed.
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  Michigan State 77, Louisville 69 — Fears Jr. Sets Big Ten Assists Record. MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 16 assists on Saturday, becoming the first Big Ten player in 50 years to record 27 assists over two tournament games — surpassing Magic Johnson's 1978 mark of 14. Coen Carr added 21 points and 10 rebounds for his first career tournament double-double. MSU dominated throughout and looks like a legitimate Sweet 16 threat.
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  Michigan 95, Saint Louis 72 — Wolverines Are Dangerous. Michigan opened the Round of 32 with a statement, dismantling Saint Louis 95–72 on 55.7% shooting with 9 blocks (a program tournament record). Yaxel Lendeborg led with 25 points, and four Wolverines hit double figures. Saint Louis — who had eliminated Georgia by 25 in Round 1 — never had a chance. Michigan may be the most complete team in the Midwest region.
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  Purdue 104, Queens 71 — Braden Smith Breaks NCAA Career Assists Record. In the middle of a 104–71 demolition of Queens, Purdue’s Braden Smith quietly made history — breaking the NCAA Division I career assists record in the first half. Smith finished with 26 points to go with the milestone. The Boilermakers were clinical, the margin was enormous, and Smith made history in the process. A record broken in a blowout win is still a record.
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  Iowa 67, Clemson 61 — Hawkeyes Advance in the South. Iowa made relatively short work of Clemson in a South Region battle, with the Hawkeyes’ trio of Combs, Stirtz, and Folgueiras combining for 45 points in the 67–61 win. Iowa advances to face No. 1 Florida in the Round of 32 — a massive challenge, but the Hawkeyes are playing with confidence heading into the weekend.
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  Utah State 86, Villanova 76 — Aggies End Wildcats’ Night on a 15–3 Run. Utah State entered as a 9-seed with little fanfare but delivered one of Friday’s cleaner upsets. Mason Falslev scored 22, and the Aggies took control of the game with a decisive 15–3 closing run that Villanova could not answer. The Wildcats — playing in their first tournament since the Jay Wright era ended — were in the game until they weren’t. Utah State advances to face No. 1 Arizona in the Round of 32.
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  Kentucky 89, Santa Clara 84 OT — Otega Oweh Refuses to Lose. Santa Clara led Kentucky at halftime and was controlling the game — a stunning upset was brewing. Then Otega Oweh took over. The Kentucky guard hit a half-court buzzer-beater to force overtime and finished with 35 points, carrying the Wildcats to an 89–84 OT survival. For Santa Clara, it was heartbreak in the tournament's most dramatic early-afternoon game. For Kentucky, it was a reminder that with Oweh on the floor, no game is over.
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  VCU 82, North Carolina 78 OT — The Comeback of the Tournament. Down 19 points in the second half, VCU refused to die. The Rams chipped away, forced overtime against the 6-seeded Tar Heels, and completed one of the most stunning reversals in recent March Madness history. An 11-seed eliminating North Carolina — a perennial power — after a 19-point deficit is the kind of moment that defines March.
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  High Point 83, Wisconsin 82 — Afternoon’s Upset Hero. Chase Johnson hit a game-winning layup with 11 seconds remaining to complete a stunning comeback for the No. 12 seed Panthers. High Point trailed by seven in the second half before a 5–0 closing run delivered one of the tournament’s signature moments of the afternoon session.
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  Iowa State 82, Kentucky 63 — Cyclones Advance Without Jefferson. Iowa State may have been missing their star Joshua Jefferson (ankle), but you wouldn’t have known it on Sunday. The Cyclones handled Kentucky with authority, holding Otega Oweh — who had put up 35 points in a heroic OT escape against Santa Clara — in check throughout. Iowa State dominated the glass and controlled the game from start to finish, winning 82–63 to advance to the Sweet 16. It was a statement from coach T.J. Otzelberger’s program: deep enough to win a second-round game without their best player.
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  Nebraska 74, Vanderbilt 72 — The Huskers Are in the Sweet 16. In one of the most dramatic finishes of the weekend, Nebraska’s Braden Frager hit a driving layup with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Huskers a 74–72 victory over Vanderbilt. Tyler Tanner’s half-court heave at the buzzer rimmed out, and the crowd held its collective breath before erupting. Nebraska had won their first-ever tournament game in Round 1 (76–47 over Troy, with Pryce Sandfort hitting a program-record 7 threes), and now they’ve made the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Huskers head to Houston to face either Florida or Iowa. This is one of the great Cinderella stories of the 2026 tournament.
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  Iowa 73, Florida 72 — The Biggest Upset of the Tournament. The 9-seed Hawkeyes did the unthinkable: they eliminated 1-seed Florida, who had demolished Prairie View A&M by 59 points in Round 1 to open the tournament. Iowa’s Combs, Stirtz, and Folgueiras combined for key late baskets to pull off the one-point stunner. Florida — led by one of the nation’s most talented rosters and a consensus Final Four pick — becomes the first #1 seed eliminated from the 2026 bracket. Iowa advances to face either Houston or Nebraska (South) in the Sweet 16.
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  St. John’s 67, Kansas 65 — Red Storm Knock Out Peterson and the Jayhawks. St. John’s edged the 4-seed Kansas Jayhawks in one of the night’s tightest games, denying Darryn Peterson — the projected #1 NBA Draft pick — his shot at a Sweet 16. The Red Storm, who opened with a 79–53 romp over Northern Iowa in Round 1, showed they can grind out a close game as well as blow out opponents. St. John’s advances to the Sweet 16 in the East region.
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  Tennessee 79, Virginia 72 — Vols Take Down the Cavaliers. The 6-seed Vols dispatched Virginia in the Midwest bracket, with Jared Gillespie delivering another strong outing. Virginia, who had beaten Wright State comfortably in Round 1, couldn’t match Tennessee’s athleticism and physicality over 40 minutes. Tennessee advances to the Sweet 16, continuing their strong postseason under coach Rick Barnes.
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  Arizona 56, Utah State 49 — Wildcats Hold Off the Aggies. Arizona, the 1-seed in the West, held off the 9-seed Aggies — who had stunned Villanova by 10 in Round 1 — in a tighter-than-expected game. The final margin of 7 does not fully reflect how close this game felt at times. The Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 in the West region, where they’ll face Purdue or Texas.
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  Duke 71, Siena 65 — Cameron Boozer Saves the Blue Devils. No. 16 Siena led No. 1 overall seed Duke 43–32 at halftime in one of the afternoon’s most stunning early storylines. Gavin Doty had 16 at the break and the upset felt imminent. Then Boozer took over: the freshman phenom finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds to power Duke’s comeback. Final: 71–65. A near-historic upset averted, but Duke was genuinely tested.
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  Duke as the No. 1 Overall Seed. The Blue Devils entered as the team to beat in the East and in the entire tournament. Duke’s path through the East runs through a bracket that includes UConn, Michigan State, and Kansas. A championship run would be a signature moment for this program’s current generation — but Siena is making Thursday afternoon very uncomfortable.
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  Kansas & Darryn Peterson — the #1 NBA Draft pick. The 4-seed Jayhawks are considered a dangerous upset pick despite their seeding, largely on the strength of freshman Darryn Peterson — the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. A Kansas run through the East would be one of the tournament’s signature stories.
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  AJ Dybantsa, 35 points, and still not enough. The nation’s leading scorer and projected #1 NBA Draft pick put on a show — 35 points in a losing effort — but BYU still fell to Texas 79–71 in the overnight session. Dybantsa was everything advertised: explosive, crafty, impossible to stop one-on-one. But the First Four survivor Longhorns had too many answers. In March, one great player isn’t always enough. Dybantsa’s tournament run is over, but his draft stock is unaffected.
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  Texas 79, BYU 71 — First Four team takes down a 6 seed. The Longhorns survived the First Four and came back to knock off BYU, one of the tournament’s most dangerous 6-seeds. With AJ Dybantsa pouring in 35 points for the Cougars, Texas’s performance was a genuine team effort — they held together, executed down the stretch, and advanced. Texas is now dangerous heading into the Round of 32.
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  Saint Louis 102, Georgia 77 — The quiet blowout of the overnight session. While everyone was watching Dybantsa and Illinois-Penn, Saint Louis quietly demolished Georgia by 25 points. The Billikens advance as a 9-seed with serious momentum. This is exactly the kind of team — deep, well-coached, and flying under the radar — that causes damage in the second weekend.
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  Howard’s historic week comes to an end. The Bison defeated UMBC 86–83 in the First Four for the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, then fell to No. 1 seed Michigan 101–80 in Round 1. No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed, and Michigan was never in danger. Still, Howard’s run — from First Four winner to Round 1 participant — is a story the program will celebrate for years.
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  Texas keeps rolling — Tramon Mark to Round 2. The Longhorns were seconds from elimination in the First Four, with Tramon Mark hitting the game-winner in the final second vs. NC State. They backed it up with a 79–71 upset of 6-seed BYU, advancing to the Round of 32 as an 11-seed. Two wins. Two dramatic performances. Texas is the tournament’s feel-good survivor story.
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  Louisville without Mikel Brown Jr. The Cardinals’ best player was ruled out for the opening weekend ahead of their Thursday matchup with South Florida. Louisville entered as a 6-seed in the East with legitimate Sweet 16 upside; without Brown, South Florida becomes a much more dangerous 11 seed. Watch this game closely.
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  UConn 82, Furman 71 — Tarris Reed Jr. Puts Up an All-Time Line. Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds — making him just the third player in the last 50 years to post 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. Reed Jr. was utterly dominant inside, and UConn advances to face a dangerous opponent in the Round of 32. The performance is one for the historical record books regardless of how deep the Huskies go.
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  Florida 114, Prairie View A&M 55 — Second-Largest Margin in Tournament History. Florida put on an offensive clinic, winning by 59 points in a result that was historic on the scoreboard alone. The Gators had seven players in double figures, tying the NCAA Tournament record. Florida is the 1-seed in the South for a reason — this team looks like a Final Four contender, and Iowa is up next in the Round of 32.
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  The South is a minefield. Florida’s 1-seed bracket includes Houston (2), Illinois (3), and Nebraska (4) — a gauntlet few top seeds face. North Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Saint Mary’s add depth. Multiple analysts have identified the South as the most likely region to produce an upset-heavy bracket through the first weekend.
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  Road to Indianapolis. The Final Four is April 4–5 at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the Championship on April 6. It’s a short tournament — 19 days from First Four to champion. Teams with deep rotations and fresh legs will have an advantage as the bracket compresses in the final weeks.