Tournament Guide · Men's Basketball
March Madness in Wichita is the new second home of the NCAA Opening Round. Wichita hosts three games on each of March 16 and 17 at INTRUST Bank Arena in downtown Wichita, Kansas, with Wichita State University as the host school.
March Madness 2027 in Wichita is the new second home of the NCAA Opening Round. Wichita hosts three games on each of March 16 and 17, 2027, at INTRUST Bank Arena in downtown Wichita, Kansas, with Wichita State University as the host school. The other Opening Round games are in Dayton, Ohio, as the field grows to 76 teams.
Which teams play in March Madness Wichita will not be known until Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027.
Opening Round
Wichita hosts six Opening Round games, three on each day, and the 12 winners across Wichita and Dayton move on to the 64-team First Round. Tip-off times and TV networks are announced after Selection Sunday.
| Round | Dates | Arena | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Round (3 games) | Tuesday, March 16, 2027 | INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS | Wichita State University |
| Opening Round (3 games) | Wednesday, March 17, 2027 | INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS | Wichita State University |
The First Round follows on March 18 and 19, at other sites on the March Madness 2027 locations list.
Venue Guide
INTRUST Bank Arena is a downtown arena with about 15,000 seats, making it one of the larger Opening Round venues.
Address: 500 E. Waterman St., Wichita, KS 67202, in downtown Wichita.
Host: Wichita State University, with Visit Wichita, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita as partners. The arena is about five miles from the WSU campus.
Capacity: 15,004 seats. The arena is owned by Sedgwick County.
Tournament history: it hosted first and second round games in 2018 and 2025, and is the Opening Round site in 2027 and 2028.
Around the arena: restaurants, breweries and more than 10 museums are within a short walk or drive. Parking and shuttle details for the Opening Round will come from the NCAA and the host, so check NCAA.com closer to March.
INTRUST Bank Arena500 E. Waterman St., Wichita, KS 67202
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 2026 First Four aired on truTV, but the network for each 2027 Opening Round game is set after Selection Sunday, so check the bracket reveal.
In person. Public ticket sales for the Wichita Opening Round began on October 5, 2026, per Visit Wichita. Official tickets are sold through the NCAA Ticket Portal at NCAATickets.com, for each day or as an all-sessions package for March 16 and 17. Prices and availability can change, so confirm on the official page before you buy.
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Answers
The Opening Round games in Wichita are on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17, 2027. Selection Sunday is March 14.
At INTRUST Bank Arena, 500 E. Waterman St., downtown Wichita, Kansas. Dayton's UD Arena hosts the other Opening Round games.
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.
