At 6: 40 p. m. ET on Tuesday, March 17, the first possession of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament opening will arrive with the First Four Games on truTV—one of those moments when a living room falls quiet, a phone buzzes, and a season’s worth of hopes narrows to a single tip. In Dayton, Ohio, UMBC and Howard start the night, with Texas and NC State following at 9: 15 p. m. ET.
What are the tip times and matchups for the First Four Games?
The opening night of the First Four begins in Dayton, Ohio, with the UMBC Retrievers (24-8, 14-2) playing the Howard Bison (23-10, 11-3). That game starts at 6: 40 p. m. ET on truTV. Later Tuesday night, the Texas Longhorns (18-14, 9-9) face the NC State Wolfpack (20-13, 10-8) at 9: 15 p. m. ET, also on truTV.
The First Four as a whole tips off Tuesday, March 17, and continues Wednesday, March 18, with coverage beginning at 6 p. m. ET on both days. Beyond the opening games, the broader tournament schedule is set: First Round coverage runs Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, beginning at Noon ET on both days.
How can fans watch the tournament’s opening nights and first round?
CBS Sports and TNT Sports hold exclusive coverage of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The First Four airs on truTV. The First Round will be available live in its entirety across four national television networks: TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV, alongside NCAA March Madness Live.
For viewers using streaming services, the broadcast options are split by network. Games airing on CBS will also stream live on Paramount+. Games airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV will also stream live on HBO Max.
Why the First Four Games matter for the bracket, the next opponent, and the feeling of the night
The First Four determines the last four teams in the 64-team first-round field, turning an already crowded March calendar into something sharper: you win, you extend your season into the main bracket; you lose, and the tournament ends before most teams even begin their first round.
Tuesday’s early matchup carries an immediate next step. The winner of UMBC-Howard will move on to face Michigan in the first round of the tournament. The late game is just as direct: Texas and NC State are playing for the chance to meet No. 6 seed BYU.
Even before the ball goes up, the night arrives with its own extra noise—predictions, point spreads, and the constant scanning for any sign that the game is already tilting. BetMGM listed UMBC and NC State as slight 1. 5-point favorites ahead of tipoff. Separately, an AI prediction exercise selected UMBC and NC State to advance to the first round. It is not a result and does not change the game, but it becomes part of the backdrop: another voice in the room as the clock approaches 6: 40 p. m. ET.
In annual rankings that sort teams from 1 to 68 into tiers of contention, NC State was placed 40th in “Tier 6 – Dangerous double-digit seeds, ” with Texas at 43rd in the same tier. Numbers like these can sound clinical, but they land differently on a Tuesday night when the season is on a single broadcast channel and the margin is as thin as a late whistle or a missed free throw.
Image alt text suggestion: Fans watch the First Four Games on truTV as the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament tips off
