Friday’s NCAA Tournament slate arrives after Thursday’s action, already delivered early upsets that began shaking up brackets. The first round of the Big Dance continues with No. 7 seed Kentucky facing No. 10 seed Santa Clara (12:15 p.m., CBS, March Madness Live), with the winner advancing to meet either No. 2 seed Iowa State or No. 15 seed Tennessee State (2:50 p.m., CBS, March Madness).
Two No. 1 seeds headline the Friday schedule, as Arizona takes on No. 16 seed Long Island (1:35 p.m., TNT, March Madness Live) and reigning national champion Florida faces No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M (9:25 p.m., TNT, March Madness Live.) The Panthers advanced out of the First Four on Wednesday and now draw one of the tournament favorites as they look to pull off a massive upset.
Upset watch continues throughout the rest of the bracket, including No. 5 seed Texas Tech against No. 12 seed Akron (12:40 p.m., TBS, March Madness Live), a matchup made more challenging with the Red Raiders set to be without star forward JT Toppin, who is sidelined for the remainder of the postseason due to injury.
No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) has emerged as one of the potential Cinderella stories of the tournament, entering Friday with a 32-1 record and fresh off an impressive First Four win on Thursday. The Red Hawks face No. 6 seed Tennessee (4:25 p.m., TBS, March Madness Live ).
Another potential bracket-buster comes later, as No. 5 seed St. John’s faces No. 12 seed Northern Iowa (7:10 p.m., CBS, March Madness Live). After Thursday’s early chaos, the lower seeds will be eyeing chances to keep the upset trend rolling as the first round continues.
Here is the full schedule and beyond to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament, and be sure to follow the live bracket throughout March Madness.
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule, dates
First round
Thursday, March 19
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
| 12:15 p.m. | (9) TCU 66, (8) Ohio State 64 | Highlights |
| 12:40 p.m. | (4) Nebraska 76, (13) Troy 47 | Highlights |
| 1:30 p.m. | (6) Louisville 83, (11) South Florida 79 | Highlights |
| 1:50 p.m. | (12) High Point 83, (5) Wisconsin 82 | Highlights |
| 2:50 p.m. | (1) Duke 71, (16) Siena 65 | Highlights |
| 3:15 p.m. | (5) Vanderbilt 78, (12) McNeese 68 | Highlights |
| 4:05 p.m. | (3) Michigan State 92, (14) North Dakota State 67 | Highlights |
| 4:25 p.m. | (4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78 | Highlights |
| 6:50 p.m. | (11) VCU 78, (6) North Carolina 82 (OT) | Highlights |
| 7:10 p.m. | (1) Michigan 101, (16) Howard 80 | Highlights |
| 7:25 p.m. | (11) Texas 79, (6) BYU 71 | Highlights |
| 7:35 p.m. | (10) Texas A&M 63, (7) Saint Mary’s 50 | Highlights |
| 9:25 p.m. | (3) Illinois 105, (14) Penn 70 | Highlights |
| 9:45 p.m. | (9) Saint Louis 102, (8) Georgia 77 | Highlights |
| 10 p.m. | (1(3) Gonzaga 73, (14) Kennesaw State 64 | Highlights |
| 10:10 p.m. | (2) Houston 78, (15) Idaho 47 | Highlights |
Friday, March 20
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
Second round
Saturday, March 21
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
Sunday, March 22 — 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
