2026 Women’s March Madness: Dates, Bracket, and Key Details

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness, is set to begin on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, culminating in the championship game on Sunday, April 5, 2026. The 68-team bracket was revealed on Sunday, March 15, 2026, kicking off the excitement for college basketball fans nationwide.

Key Dates and Schedule

• Selection Sunday: March 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
• First Four: March 18-19, 2026
• First Round: March 20-21, 2026
• Second Round: March 22-23, 2026
• Sweet 16: March 27-28, 2026
• Elite Eight: March 29-30, 2026
• Final Four: Friday, April 3, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET (with the second semifinal starting 30 minutes after the first) at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
• NCAA Championship Game: Sunday, April 5, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, hosted at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Regional Sites

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds will be held at the following locations:

• Fort Worth, Texas: Dickies Arena
• Sacramento, California: Golden 1 Center

First Four Matchups (March 18-19)

• March 18: Nebraska vs. Richmond (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)
• March 18: Missouri State vs. Stephen F. Austin (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)
• March 19: Southern U. Vs. Samford (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)
• March 19: Virginia vs. Arizona State (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)

First Round Matchups (March 20)

• Duke vs. College of Charleston (ESPN2, 11:30 a.m. ET)
• TCU vs. UC San Diego (ESPN, 12 p.m. ET)
• Oregon vs. Virginia Tech (ESPN2, 1:30 p.m. ET)
• Baylor vs. Nebraska (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET)
• Washington vs. South Dakota State (ESPNews, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Maryland vs. Murray State (ESPNU, 3 p.m. ET)
• Ole Miss vs. Gonzaga (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)
• Texas vs. Missouri State (ESPN, 4 p.m. ET)
• Michigan vs. Holy Cross (ESPN2, 5:30 p.m. ET)
• North Carolina vs. Western Illinois (ESPNews, 5:30 p.m. ET)
• LSU vs. Jacksonville (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET)
• Minnesota vs. Green Bay (ESPNU, 6 p.m. ET)
• Michigan State vs. Colorado State (ESPNews, 7:30 p.m. ET)
• NC State vs. Tennessee (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
• Texas Tech vs. Villanova (ESPNU, 8:30 p.m. ET)
• Oklahoma vs. Idaho (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

Past Champions

UConn won the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, defeating South Carolina 82-59. South Carolina won the championship in 2024, defeating Iowa 87-75.

Future Final Four Locations

• 2027: Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
• 2028: Indianapolis, Indiana (Lucas Oil Stadium)
• 2029: San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)
• 2030: Portland, Oregon (Moda Center)
• 2031: Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center)