NCAA Tournament

March Madness 2026 locations: Every host venue from First Four to Final Four

Feb 27, 2026

·

Max Meyer

Few moments in sports match the raw electricity of a March Madness buzzer-beater rattling through the net while an entire arena loses its collective mind. The NCAA tournament has delivered decades of Cinderella runs, bracket-busting upsets and championship moments that define careers—and experiencing any of it live turns you from a spectator into part of the story. With games spread across 14 cities over three weeks, though, knowing where to be and when to buy takes real planning.

This guide breaks down every 2026 venue, the full schedule and what you can expect from each round.

2026 March Madness schedule and key dates

Here's the complete timeline from bracket reveal to championship:

  • Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET

  • First Four: Tuesday, March 17 – Wednesday, March 18 (Dayton, OH)

  • First Round: Thursday, March 19 – Friday, March 20 (8 sites nationwide)

  • Second Round: Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22 (same 8 sites)

  • Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 – Friday, March 27 (4 regional sites)

  • Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29 (same 4 regional sites)

  • Final Four: Saturday, April 4 (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)

  • National Championship: Monday, April 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)

Every 2026 March Madness venue by round

The tournament spans 14 cities across three weeks, with each round offering a different atmosphere and ticket accessibility level.

First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The tournament tips off at UD Arena on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18. Four play-in games determine the final spots in the 64-team bracket—two games matching the last four at-large selections and two featuring the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers.

Dayton has hosted the First Four since 2001, and the intimate 13,400-seat arena creates one of the most passionate atmospheres in the entire tournament. These are also typically the most accessible March Madness tickets you'll find.

First and second round sites (Round of 64 and Round of 32)

Eight pod locations host first and second round action from March 19 through March 22. Four sites play on Thursday and Saturday, while the other four play on Friday and Sunday.

Thursday, March 19 and Saturday, March 21:

Friday, March 20 and Sunday, March 22:

Each site hosts three sessions: two on the first day (afternoon and evening doubleheaders) and one on the second day (second round games). You won't know which teams play at which site until the bracket drops on Selection Sunday.

Regional sites – Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

The four regional sites host Sweet 16 games on either Thursday or Friday, with Elite Eight games at the same venue two days later. If your team wins the Sweet 16, you can watch them play again at the same arena without traveling.

  • South Regional: Toyota Center, Houston, TX (Thursday, March 26 and Saturday, March 28)

  • West Regional: SAP Center, San Jose, CA (Thursday, March 26 and Saturday, March 28)

  • Midwest Regional: United Center, Chicago, IL (Friday, March 27 and Sunday, March 29)

  • East Regional: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. (Friday, March 27 and Sunday, March 29)

2026 Final Four – Indianapolis

Lucas Oil Stadium hosts the Final Four semifinals on Saturday, April 4 (6:00 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET) and the National Championship on Monday, April 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The stadium seats over 70,000 in its basketball configuration, making it one of the largest single-game sporting events you can attend.

Indianapolis is widely considered the gold standard for Final Four hosting. Its central location, walkable downtown and proven infrastructure make it a destination worth planning a trip around—whether or not your team is still playing.

How to buy March Madness 2026 tickets on SeatGeek

March Madness only lasts three weeks, but the right session can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime trip. With the full 2026 schedule and every host city laid out above, you can decide whether you want to chase your team from a First Four play-in to the Final Four, or settle into one pod and soak up back-to-back doubleheaders.

Once you know where you’re headed, pull up your session on SeatGeek, compare a few sections and lock in the view that feels right for your budget. However your bracket holds up, you’ll be in the building when the next buzzer-beater drops—and that’s the kind of March Madness memory that doesn’t fade.

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