The field is set for the 2026 Women’s March Madness bracket. Some storylines are familiar like UConn entering the tournament undefeated and South Carolina as a number one seed. But new threats Texas and UCLA are ready to buck recent tradition and write a championship chapter in their school’s history.
Don’t want to miss a magic moment? Here’s your guide to watching every second of Women’s March Madness.
And you can watch it all on DIRECTV. Learn more about watching the tournament on DIRECTV here.
How to Watch 2026 Women’s March Madness®
To follow the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament, fans will need access to ESPN networks and ABC.
With DIRECTV’s MySports® Genre Pack®, it’s easy to keep up with all the bracket-busting madness — without paying for channels you don’t watch. Get ESPN networks (including ESPN Unlimited), ABC (where available — find your local ABC affiliate) and more top live sports networks in one place.
Looking for information on the Men’s NCAA® Basketball Tournament? You can find that right here.
Women’s March Madness® Full Schedule & Key Dates
Here’s the full schedule for the 2026 Women’s March Madness Tournament. Specific channel information and tip-off times will be added after Selection Sunday, when the official bracket is announced.
- Conclusion of Conference Tournaments: By Sunday, March 15
(Learn more about the ACC, SEC and Big Ten Conference Tournaments here.) - Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15
- First Four: March 18–19
- First Round: March 20–21
- Second Round: March 22–23
- Sweet 16: March 27–28
- Elite Eight: March 29–30
- Final Four: Friday, April 3 starting at 7 p.m. ET (Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix)
- NCAA National Championship Game: Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC (Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix)
Here is the official Women’s March Madness 2026 game schedule including matchups, tip-off times and TV channels:
March Madness 2026 Women’s First Four Schedule
First Four games air on ESPN2.
Wednesday, March 18
(11) Nebraska vs. (11) Richmond — 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(16) Missouri State vs. (16) Stephen F. Austin — 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Thursday, March 19
(16) Southern vs. (16) Samford — 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(10) Virginia vs. (10) Arizona State — 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
March Madness 2026 Women’s First Round Schedule
Round of 64 games air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.
Friday, March 20
(3) Duke vs. (14) College of Charleston — 11:30 a.m. ET | ESPN2
(3) TCU vs. (14) UC San Diego — 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(8) Oregon vs. (9) Virginia Tech — 1:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(6) Baylor vs. TBD — 2:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(6) Washington vs. (11) South Dakota State — 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPNews
(5) Maryland vs. (12) Murray State — 3:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
(5) Ole Miss vs. (12) Gonzaga — 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(1) Texas vs. TBD — 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(2) Michigan vs. (15) Holy Cross — 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(4) North Carolina vs. (13) Western Illinois — 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPNews
(2) LSU vs. (15) Jacksonville — 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(4) Minnesota vs. (13) Green Bay — 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
(5) Michigan State vs. (12) Colorado State — 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPNews
(7) NC State vs. (10) Tennessee — 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(7) Texas Tech vs. (10) Villanova — 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU
(4) Oklahoma vs. (13) Idaho — 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
Saturday, March 21
(3) Ohio State vs. (14) Howard — 11:30 a.m. ET | ESPN2
(3) Louisville vs. (14) Vermont — 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(1) South Carolina vs. TBD — 1:00 p.m. ET | ABC
(7) Georgia vs. TBD — 1:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(6) Notre Dame vs. (11) Fairfield — 2:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(6) Alabama vs. (11) Rhode Island — 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPNews
(5) Kentucky vs. (12) James Madison — 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU
(1) UConn vs. (16) UTSA — 3:00 p.m. ET | ABC
(8) Clemson vs. (9) USC — 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(2) Iowa vs. (15) Fairleigh Dickinson — 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
(4) West Virginia vs. (13) Miami (OH) — 5:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
(8) Iowa State vs. (9) Syracuse — 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(2) Vanderbilt vs. (15) High Point — 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPNews
(8) Oklahoma State vs. (9) Princeton — 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(7) Illinois vs. (10) Colorado — 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
(1) UCLA vs. (16) California Baptist — 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
When Is the Women’s March Madness® Bracket Released?
The official Women’s March Madness bracket was unveiled on Selection Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can download, print or fill out their brackets online to track every game from the First Four through the national championship.
Women’s March Madness Format
Here’s a quick breakdown of how the college basketball tournament works:
The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament features 68 teams. Thirty-two teams earn automatic bids as conference champions, while the remaining teams receive at-large bids selected by the NCAA committee.
The tournament begins with the First Four, where the lowest-seeded teams compete for spots in the Round of 64. From there, the bracket is divided into four regions, with teams seeded from No. 1 to No. 16.
The Women’s Final Four is typically played on the Friday before the Men’s Final Four, with the championship game held on Sunday afternoon.
NCAA® Women’s Tournament Favorites
From No. 1 seeds to strong sleeper picks to keep an eye on, these teams have championship-caliber talent.
Connecticut Huskies (No. 1)
The lone undefeated team in the tournament, the 34-0 Huskies enter the tournament after cruising through the Big East tournament with an average margin of victory of 40 in all four rounds. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd form one of the most dangerous duos in the country.
UCLA Bruins (No. 1)
At 28–1 overall and a perfect 18–0 in Big Ten play, UCLA entered March riding a 22-game win streak with multiple ranked victories. In just their second Big Ten season, led by Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, the Bruins look like one of the most complete teams in the country.
South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 1)
A loss in the SEC final wasn’t enough to knock the Gamecocks out of a No. 1 seed. SC is chasing another deep tournament run after last year’s title game appearance. Dawn Staley’s experienced squad brings championship pedigree.
Texas Longhorns (No. 1)
Texas has proven all year they can hang with the best. To leave no doubt, they defeated the two-time defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC tournament. With balanced scoring and strong late-season form, the Longhorns have Final Four potential and Madison Booker has Most Outstanding Player potential.
LSU Tigers (No. 2)
The Tigers (26-4) bring star power and tournament-tested coaching under Kim Mulkey. Despite a couple of key losses, their talent with Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams makes them a serious threat to reach the second weekend and beyond.
Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 2)
With wins against multiple top 25 teams, Vanderbilt is powered by Mikayla Blakes’ explosive scoring stretch. Their ability to compete with elite teams makes them a dangerous bracket draw.
Oklahoma Sooners (No. 4)
Riding a six-game win streak with strong ranked victories, the Sooners have established themselves as SEC heavyweights, and their balanced attack gives them real Sweet 16 or Elite Eight upside. Raegan Beers, Aaliyah Chavez and Payton Verhulst form a lethal trio.
Duke Blue Devils (No. 3)
After a 16-game win streak and a return to the Top 15, Duke enters postseason play with a repeat win in the ACC tournament. They are peaking at just the right time.
Louisville Cardinals (No. 3)
With a 25-6 record and four close losses by a combined eight points, Louisville made it to the ACC finals before a crushing overtime loss to Duke. Their veteran leadership makes them well suited for tight March games.
North Carolina Tar Heels (No. 4)
Closing the season 12-1 and avenging a loss to Duke, UNC brings a balanced starting five, but they have struggled against ranked teams.
Iowa Hawkeyes (No. 2)
Iowa got beat big in the Big Ten final to UCLA, but Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke lead a battle-tested Hawkeye team built for a deep March run.
Watch Women’s Basketball on DIRECTV
You can watch the entirety of the 2026 Women’s March Madness® tournament — and catch women’s college basketball games on TV every day — on DIRECTV.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Women's March Madness Tournament?
Women's March Madness kicks off on March 18.
What channel is March Madness on?
ABC and ESPN Networks.
Which teams got the No. 1 seeds in the 2026 Women's March Madness Tournament?
UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina are the four Women's basketball teams sitting at the No. 1 seed in the 2026 March Madness bracket.
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