Tournament Guide · Men's Basketball
March Madness in Pittsburgh brings the NCAA tournament's First and Second Rounds to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, March 18 and Saturday, March 20. Duquesne University is the host school, and eight teams will play in Pittsburgh.
March Madness 2027 in Pittsburgh brings the NCAA tournament's First and Second Rounds to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, March 18 and Saturday, March 20, 2027. Duquesne University is the host school, and eight teams will play in Pittsburgh. The winners of the Opening Round in Dayton and Wichita join the 64-team field.
Which teams play in March Madness Pittsburgh will not be known until Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027.
First & Second Round
The PPG March Madness schedule has two days: the First Round on Thursday and the Second Round on Saturday. Tip-off times and TV networks are announced after Selection Sunday.
| Round | Dates | Arena | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Thursday, March 18, 2027 | PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA | Duquesne University |
| Second Round | Saturday, March 20, 2027 | PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA | Duquesne University |
The winners of the Second Round move on to the Sweet 16 at one of the four regional sites. See all March Madness 2027 locations.
Venue Guide
PPG Paints Arena is a downtown arena that seats about 19,000 for basketball, one of the larger arenas in the tournament.
Address: 1001 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219, in downtown Pittsburgh.
Host: Duquesne University, the closest school to the arena. The PPG Paints Arena NCAA tournament schedule is its eighth time hosting these rounds since 1997.
Capacity: about 19,000 for basketball. The arena uses curtaining, so seating changes by event.
Home team: the Pittsburgh Penguins. The arena was called Consol Energy Center until 2016.
Tournament history: it will host the tournament for the sixth time in 2027. Earlier rounds were held at the former Civic Arena, also known as Mellon Arena, in 1997 and 2002.
Getting there: parking and transit details for the tournament will come from the NCAA and the host, so check NCAA.com closer to March.
PPG Paints Arena1001 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Get Directions →How to Watch
On TV and streaming. CBS and TNT Sports show every tournament game across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, with live streaming on March Madness Live. The network for each First and Second Round game is set after Selection Sunday, so check the bracket reveal.
In person. Official tickets for the Pittsburgh sessions are sold through the NCAA Ticket Portal at NCAATickets.com, by session or as an all-sessions package for March 18 and 20. Duquesne and PPG Paints Arena also run a sign-up for ticket on-sale alerts. Prices and availability can change, so confirm on the official page before you buy.
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Answers
The First Round is Thursday, March 18, and the Second Round is Saturday, March 20, 2027. Selection Sunday is March 14.
At PPG Paints Arena, 1001 Fifth Ave., downtown Pittsburgh. Duquesne University is the host school.
Through the NCAA Ticket Portal at NCAATickets.com. Teams and tip-off times are announced after Selection Sunday, so check the official page for current availability.
