Women’s March Madness 2026: Complete NCAA Tournament Schedule and Bracket

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is here, and honestly, it feels like the start of something wild. Sixty-eight teams are all chasing that championship dream this year.

Top seeds like UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina are getting most of the buzz. The whole thing kicked off with the First Four games, and it’s all building toward the Final Four and the championship in Phoenix.

If you’re hoping to catch every moment, the games are streaming on fubo. There’s a packed schedule ahead—almost too much basketball (if that’s possible).

First Four Highlights

Everything got rolling on Wednesday, March 18, with the First Four. Nebraska made a statement, beating Richmond 75-56.

Missouri State also came out strong, taking down Stephen F. Austin 85-75. Early games like these always give us a taste of the intensity to come.

Wednesday, March 18 Results

• Nebraska 75, Richmond 56
• Missouri State 85, Stephen F. Austin 75

The First Four wrapped up on Thursday, March 19. Southern sent Samford packing, 65-53, and Virginia just barely edged out Arizona State, 57-55.

These matchups decided who moves forward and, honestly, some of these teams might surprise us later on.

Thursday, March 19 Results

• Southern 65, Samford 53
• Virginia 57, Arizona State 55

First Round: Key Matchups and Schedule

The first round kicks off Friday, March 20, and it’s a marathon of games. There are some real showdowns on the horizon as teams fight to reach the second round.

UConn, undefeated and still the reigning champ, holds the No. 1 overall seed. They’re the team everyone’s watching, but UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina are right there too, hosting games in the early rounds.

Friday, March 20 Schedule

• No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Charleston, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2
• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego, 12 p.m., ESPN
• No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 2 p.m., ESPN
• No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State, 2:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State, 3 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State, 4 p.m., ESPN
• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois, 5:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville, 6 p.m., ESPN
• No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay, 6 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State, 7:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee, 8 p.m., ESPN
• No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova, 8:30 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho, 10 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, March 21 Schedule

• No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2
• No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont, 12 p.m., ESPN
• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern, 1 p.m., ABC
• No. 7 Georgia vs. No 10 Virginia, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield, 2 p.m., ESPN
• No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island, 2:30 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA, 3 p.m., ABC
• No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, 4 p.m., ESPN
• No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio), 5 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point, 7 p.m., ESPNews
• No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist, 10 p.m., ESPN

Looking Ahead: Second Round and Beyond

The second round is set for Sunday, March 22, and Monday, March 23. There are eight games each day, so that’s a lot of hoops to keep up with.

With every round, the pressure just keeps building. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will happen in Fort Worth and Sacramento, which gives the top teams a big stage.

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Schedule

Sweet 16 games are on Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, four each day. The Elite Eight follows on Sunday, March 29, and Monday, March 30, with two games per night.

By the end of that stretch, only the Final Four will be left standing.

The Final Four and Championship Game

Phoenix will host the Final Four, with two semifinal games on Friday, April 3. The championship tips off Sunday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and you can catch it on fubo too.

UConn, led by Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, is the team everyone’s talking about. If they pull it off, they’ll be the 11th team ever to go undefeated and the first to win back-to-back titles since their own run from 2013-16.

Want more details or just love a good bracket? Check out the CBS Sports Women’s March Madness Schedule and Bracket.

Odds and Predictions

Here’s what the odds looked like as of March 18:

• UConn: -265
• UCLA: +550
• Texas: +700
• South Carolina: +800
• LSU: +1600
• Vanderbilt: +5000
• Michigan: +8000
• Iowa: +10000
• Duke: +10000
• Louisville: +10000

UConn’s clearly the favorite, but it’s March—anything can happen, right? UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina could easily shake things up before it’s all over.

Join the Excitement

Don’t miss out on the action! Fill out your brackets and enter them into the CBS Sports Bracket Challenge for your shot at a dream trip to the 2027 Final Four.