We made it! March Madness tips off today with 12 hours of nonstop hoops, starting with No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU at 12:15 p.m. ET. Stuck at work all day? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Our NBC News crew will be live-blogging all the games today and tomorrow, keeping you informed on all the upset alerts, nail-biter endings and fun storylines. Click here to follow.
Before the games begin, we checked in with Steve Kornacki, NBC News’ chief data analyst, who predicted this year’s "Cinderella" and champion. Our reporters also picked their favorite games on today’s slate and some storylines to watch through March. For more coverage, as always, visit NBC News.
Kornacki’s Cinderella and Champ
Who could be this year’s "Cinderella"?
Last year it was No. 10-seeded Arkansas. Two years ago, it was No. 11 seed NC State. If a new era is dawning, this may be the type of March magic we now have to settle for — teams who finished in the bottom half of power conferences getting on a roll when it really counts.
This year, I’m thinking it might be Texas A&M, the No. 10 seed in the South region. The Aggies play “Bucky Ball,” the relentless, up-tempo style that has become the trademark of their first-year coach, Bucky McMillan, and that can flummox foes. Previously, McMillan was at Samford, which he nearly led to an upset of Kansas in the 2024 tournament.
As for my 2026 national championship pick … this is how my previous five predicted champs have fared:
2021: Illinois lost in Round of 32
2022: Villanova lost in Final Four
2023: Duke lost in Round of 32
2024: Auburn lost in Round of 64
2025: St. John’s lost in Round of 32
That is simply atrocious, to the point that I’m wondering if by picking a team I am actually conjuring some kind of mystical force to thwart them.
Given this distinct possibility, I cannot in good conscience choose the team that I want to win it all and that, deep inside, I think could make a real run (I won’t say the name, but it rhymes with “St. Bohn’s”). So instead, I’ll go with the depth and balance of long-overdue Arizona. Wildcat fans, I’m sorry to do this to you.
Click here for the rest of Kornacki’s 2026 March Madness breakdown.
Final Four Picks
The “NBA Showtime” crew agrees with Steve Kornacki. Three NBA legends made their Final Four picks for NBC Sports, and all three predicted Houston vs. Arizona in the final, with the Wildcats cutting down the nets. Here are their full picks:
Vince Carter
Semifinal: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Houston
Semifinal: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan
Final: Houston vs. Arizona
Champ: Arizona
Tracy McGrady
Semifinal: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 2 Houston
Semifinal: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan
Final: Houston vs. Arizona
Champ: Arizona
Carmelo Anthony
Semifinal: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Houston
Semifinal: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan
Final: Houston vs. Arizona
Champ: Arizona
Today's Games to Watch:
Here’s what we’re watching during today’s slate:
Tim Rohan: I’m curious to see dynamic guard Darius Acuff Jr. and No. 4 Arkansas take on No. 13 Hawaii. Acuff averages nearly 23 points per game, 44.5% from 3-point range, and plays with poise beyond his years. He’s coach John Calipari’s latest and greatest freshman guard.
Andrew Greif: Perhaps no other fan base enters the tournament carrying as much anxiety as Nebraska’s. At 0-8 all time, the No. 4-seeded Huskers are the last power conference team yet to win in the tournament. Now, 40 years after the program’s first March Madness appearance, they could provide a whole lot of catharsis with a win against No. 13 seed Troy.
Greg Rosenstein: I’m excited to watch No. 6 BYU against No. 11 Texas. The Cougars boast arguably the best player in America and a contender for the No. 1 NBA draft pick in AJ Dybantsa. He’s a do-it-all forward that has professional scouts salivating. But Texas has the superior defense in this matchup, and I would not be surprised to see an upset.
March Madness subplots
Here’s what our correspondents are looking for the rest of March:
Tim Rohan: Will a singular star emerge during the women’s tournament? Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have graduated, and JuJu Watkins is injured. This tourney has several dominant teams with headliner players, but which will come through in the clutch? UConn’s Azzi Fudd or Sarah Strong? UCLA’s Lauren Betts? Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes? Curious to see who asserts themselves this March.
Andrew Greif: Twenty-three years after freshman Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a national title in his lone collegiate season, I’m watching to see whether a new crop of likely one-and-done superstars can match that achievement.
Greg Rosenstein: Does Tom Izzo have enough magic to lead Michigan State to one more national championship? The Spartans are almost always contenders but have not cut down the nets since 2000. Izzo is 71 (and now dealing with the ever-frustrating NIL world), and this might be his last best shot.
What We're Watching
The NCAA Tournament first round tips off today! Follow along as our NBC News team live-blogs all the action. We’re covering all the games, and here’s the full slate, but here are a few key ones to watch.
Can Nebraska collect its first-ever March Madness win? How will top NBA prospects AJ Dybantsa and Darius Acuff Jr. look in their tournament debuts? Can Virginia Commonwealth upset North Carolina, who is playing without injured star forward Caleb Wilson?
All times are Eastern:
- 12:40 p.m.: No. 4 seed Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy, on TruTV
- 4:25 p.m.: No. 4 seed Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawai’i, on TBS
- 6:50 p.m.: No. 6 seed North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU, on TNT
- 7:25 p.m.: No. 6 seed BYU vs. No. 11 Texas, on TBS
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
