March Madness Play-In Games Kick Off on March 17 The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament officially begins with the play-in games, also known as the First Four, starting on Tuesday, March 17, in Dayton, Ohio. These matchups will determine the final four spots in the 64-team bracket. The men’s tournament kicks off with the First Four games on March 17 and 18, followed by the first round on March 19 and 20. The women’s tournament will start its First Four games on March 18, with the first round beginning March 20. The play-in games feature four matchups, with the first two games scheduled for Tuesday, March 17. At 9:15 p.m. ET, No. 11 Texas will face No. 11 NC State, while No. 16 UMBC will take on No. 16 Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET. On Wednesday, March 18, the remaining First Four games will take place, with No. 11 Miami (OH) vs. No. 11 SMU at 9:15 p.m. ET and No. 16 Prairie Views vs. No. 16 Lehigh at 6:40 p.m. ET. The first game of the men’s tournament will be the 6:40 p.m. ET matchup between No. 16 UMBC and No. 16 Howard on Tuesday, March 17. All First Four games will be broadcast on truTV, with live streaming options available through the March Madness Live app and SlingTV. The games will be held at the University of Dayton’s UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. For the women’s tournament, the first game of the First Four is set for March 18, with the first round beginning March 20. Bracket submission deadlines for both the men’s and women’s tournaments are approaching. For the men’s tournament, brackets must be submitted by Thursday, March 19, with deadlines set for NCAA (noon), ESPN (12:15 p.m.), Yahoo! (12:15 p.m.), CBS (noon), and USA TODAY (noon). The women’s tournament brackets are due by Friday, March 20, with NCAA (noon), ESPN (11:30 a.m.), Yahoo! (11:10 a.m.), CBS (11:30 a.m.), and USA TODAY (11:15 a.m.) as submission times.#ncaa #march_madness #umbc #dayton_ohio #tru_tv
March Madness 2026 Begins Tonight in Dayton, Ohio The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament kicks off tonight in Dayton, Ohio, with the first round of games, known as the “First Four,” set to take place. Two matchups featuring No. 16 seeds will open the tournament, as Howard University faces UMBC, while No. 11 seeds NC State and Texas will square off in another early contest. Additional First Four games will be held on Wednesday, with Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh and Miami (OH) vs. SMU set to compete. All four matchups will be broadcast on truTV. The tournament will be televised across multiple networks, including CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, with additional games available via streaming platforms. HBO Max and Paramount+ will also carry select matches, offering fans flexible viewing options. Notably, Paramount+ is currently offering a discounted rate of $2.99 per month for the first two months, providing an affordable way to access the tournament. For viewers seeking to stream truTV, several services provide access. The network is available on Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV, with the latter offering a promotional price of $59.99 per month for the first two months. A 10-day free trial is also available for YouTube TV, while Hulu provides a three-day trial. TruTV can be found on DIRECTV through the Choice, Ultimate, or Premiere Packs, as well as on Optimum, Spectrum, Cox, and Xfinity via their channel finder tools. To watch truTV live, users can access the network’s website or app with a valid cable login. A free 10-minute preview is available for new users. Alternatively, the Blue package on Sling TV offers access to truTV, though the Orange package does not include the channel.#ncaa_men_s_basketball_tournament #cbs #dayton_ohio #tru_tv #tbs
UMBC men's basketball team faces delays as weather disrupts travel plans The UMBC men's basketball team remains stranded at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport due to severe weather delays, preventing them from departing for their NCAA Tournament game in Dayton, Ohio. The Retrievers, who are making their first tournament appearance since defeating top-seeded Virginia in 2018, were scheduled to board a 12 p.m. flight but have yet to depart three hours later. The delay has forced the team to miss their planned 4 p.m. media availability to preview their First Four matchup against Howard, which is set for 6:40 p.m. tomorrow night. Despite the logistical challenges, the Retrievers have secured their spot in the tournament as a 16-seed, following their America East regular season and conference tournament championships. The team will compete in the First Four play-in game in Dayton, where the winner will face 1-seed Michigan in the Midwest Region. Howard, the opponent in tomorrow’s game, has already arrived in Dayton, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest. The flight delay stems from a ground stop at BWI-Marshall Airport, which was implemented due to severe weather conditions earlier in the day. While the ground stop was lifted in the afternoon, the team’s departure was still delayed, complicating their schedule. The NCAA Tournament game against Howard marks a significant milestone for UMBC, as the Retrievers aim to build on their historic 2018 upset of Virginia. The team’s situation highlights the unpredictable nature of tournament travel, particularly during adverse weather conditions. While the Retrievers have managed to land safely in Dayton shortly before 6 p.m., the delay underscores the challenges teams face in balancing preparation and logistics during high-profile events.#ncaa_tournament #umbc #dayton_ohio #america_east
