Tournament Guide · Men's & Women's Basketball
The tournament is the first with 76 teams, so the map looks a little different this year. Games start in Dayton and Wichita, move through eight early-round cities and four regional sites, and end at Ford Field in Detroit.
The 2027 tournament is the first with 76 teams, so the map looks a little different this year. Games start in Dayton and Wichita, move through eight early-round cities and four regional sites, and end at Ford Field in Detroit.
This guide lists every host city and arena in one place. If you are checking the NCAA March Madness sites to plan a trip, or you just want to know where your team might play, start here. Each city links to its own page with the schedule, venue details and how to watch.
One thing to remember. The sites are set, but the matchups are not. Teams find out where they play on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027.
All Sites
This table shows every men's tournament site by round, with dates, arena and host.
| Round | Dates | City | Arena | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Round | March 16 and 17 | Dayton, OH | UD Arena | University of Dayton |
| Opening Round | March 16 and 17 | Wichita, KS | INTRUST Bank Arena | Wichita State University |
| First and Second Rounds | March 18 and 20 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena | Duquesne University |
| First and Second Rounds | March 18 and 20 | Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center | Creighton University |
| First and Second Rounds | March 18 and 20 | Fort Worth, TX | Dickies Arena | University of North Texas |
| First and Second Rounds | March 18 and 20 | Spokane, WA | Numerica Veterans Arena | University of Idaho |
| First and Second Rounds | March 19 and 21 | Charlotte, NC | Spectrum Center | UNC Charlotte and the Atlantic Coast Conference |
| First and Second Rounds | March 19 and 21 | Minneapolis, MN | Target Center | University of Minnesota |
| First and Second Rounds | March 19 and 21 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center | University of Louisville |
| First and Second Rounds | March 19 and 21 | Sacramento, CA | Golden 1 Center | Cal State Sacramento |
| South Regional | March 25 and 27 | San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center | UTSA |
| West Regional | March 25 and 27 | Los Angeles, CA | Crypto.com Arena | Pepperdine University |
| Midwest Regional | March 26 and 28 | Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center | Big 12 Conference |
| East Regional | March 26 and 28 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden | Big East Conference and St. John's University |
| Final Four and National Championship | April 3 and 5 | Detroit, MI | Ford Field | Michigan State University |
Key Dates
Here is the full schedule from Selection Sunday to the title game.
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | Sunday, March 14 |
| Opening Round (12 games) | Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17 |
| First Round (32 games) | Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19 |
| Second Round (16 games) | Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 |
| Sweet 16 (eight games) | Thursday, March 25 and Friday, March 26 |
| Elite Eight (four games) | Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28 |
| Final Four | Saturday, April 3 |
| National championship game | Monday, April 5 |
Opening Round
The Opening Round replaces the old First Four. It has 12 games over two days, with six games each day across two sites. Twenty-four teams play in it. The 12 winners join the main 64-team bracket.
| City | Arena | Host | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton, OH | UD Arena | University of Dayton | March Madness 2027 in Dayton |
| Wichita, KS | INTRUST Bank Arena | Wichita State University | March Madness 2027 in Wichita |
Dayton, Ohio is a familiar host. UD Arena has hosted the opening games for years. Wichita, Kansas is the new second site. INTRUST Bank Arena will host in 2027 and 2028. Its central location helps teams travel to their first-round sites after Selection Sunday.
First & Second Round
Eight arenas host the first and second rounds. They are split into two groups. One group plays on Thursday and Saturday. The other plays on Friday and Sunday.
| City | Arena | Host | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena | Duquesne University | PPG Paints Arena NCAA tournament schedule |
| Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center | Creighton University | March Madness schedule in Omaha |
| Fort Worth, TX | Dickies Arena | University of North Texas | Dickies Arena March Madness schedule |
| Spokane, WA | Numerica Veterans Arena (also known as Spokane Arena) | University of Idaho | March Madness 2027 in Spokane guide |
| City | Arena | Host | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | Spectrum Center | UNC Charlotte and the Atlantic Coast Conference | March Madness 2027 in Charlotte page |
| Minneapolis, MN | Target Center | University of Minnesota | March Madness 2027 in Minneapolis |
| Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center (sixth time hosting the NCAA tournament) | University of Louisville | March Madness 2027 in Louisville |
| Sacramento, CA | Golden 1 Center | Cal State Sacramento | March Madness 2027 in Sacramento |
Regionals
The tournament has four regions, called East, Midwest, South and West. Each regional site hosts the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. The four winners then move on to Detroit.
The South and West regionals play on March 25 and 27. The East and Midwest regionals play on March 26 and 28.
| Region | City and Arena | Host | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Regional | San Antonio — Frost Bank Center | UTSA | March Madness 2027 in San Antonio |
| West Regional | Los Angeles — Crypto.com Arena | Pepperdine University | March Madness 2027 in Los Angeles |
| Midwest Regional | Kansas City — T-Mobile Center | Big 12 Conference | March Madness Midwest schedule · March Madness schedule in Kansas City |
| East Regional | New York — Madison Square Garden | Big East Conference and St. John's University | March Madness schedule in New York |
Kansas City has hosted before, including a Midwest Regional in 2017.
Final Four
The 2027 men's Final Four is at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The national semifinals are on Saturday, April 3. The national championship game is on Monday, April 5.
Michigan State University is the host school. Detroit hosted the Final Four once before, in 2009. The NCAA lists the event week as April 2 to 5, with the games on April 3 and 5. Plan your trip with the March Madness 2027 in Detroit page.
How Sites Are Chosen
The NCAA picks host cities years ahead. The 2027 and 2028 sites were announced together, and the Final Four sites are set through 2031. The goal is to spread games across the East, Midwest, South and West.
A few rules shape the list:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Arena size | First and second round arenas need at least 10,000 seats. |
| A local host | A university, a conference or a sports commission applies to host and runs the event on the ground. |
| No home games | A team cannot play an early-round game in its own home arena. |
Where each team plays comes later. The selection committee builds the bracket on Selection Sunday. It tries to keep top seeds closer to home when it can. That is why a fan can know every site today and still not know which one will matter.
Women's Tournament
The women's tournament also grows to 76 teams in 2027, but its sites work differently from the men's.
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Early rounds | The Opening Round is on March 17 and 18. The First Round is on March 19 and 20. The Second Round is on March 21 and 22. All of these games are at campus sites. |
| Regionals | The women's tournament uses two regional sites instead of four. Philadelphia hosts the East Regional at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with Saint Joseph's University as host. Las Vegas hosts the West Regional at T-Mobile Arena, with UNLV as host. The Sweet 16 is on March 26 and 27, and the Elite Eight is on March 28 and 29. |
| Final Four | The women's Final Four is at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on April 2 and 4. |
See the March Madness schedule in Philadelphia and Las Vegas March Madness schedule pages for city details.
Plan Carefully
Search results often mix tournament years. Buffalo, Tampa, Houston and San Jose show up a lot, but they are not on the 2027 men's list above. They appeared in other years.
Las Vegas is a good example. It hosts a women's regional in 2027, and it hosts the men's Final Four in 2028. Always check that a schedule page says 2027 before you book anything.
2028 and Beyond
The 2028 men's sites are already set.
| Stage | Sites |
|---|---|
| Opening Round (March 14 and 15) | Dayton and Wichita again. |
| First and second rounds | Tulsa (BOK Center), Orlando (Kia Center), Columbus (Nationwide Arena), Salt Lake City (Delta Center), Brooklyn (Barclays Center), Des Moines (Casey's Center), Birmingham (Legacy Arena) and Seattle (Climate Pledge Arena). |
| Regionals | Raleigh (East, Lenovo Center), San Francisco (West, Chase Center), Detroit (Midwest, Little Caesars Arena) and Dallas (South, American Airlines Center). |
| Women's regionals | Portland (Moda Center) and Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena). |
The men's Final Four sites run through 2031.
| Year | Dates | City | Arena | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | April 3 and 5 | Detroit | Ford Field | Michigan State University |
| 2028 | April 1 and 3 | Las Vegas | Allegiant Stadium | UNLV |
| 2029 | March 31 and April 2 | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium | Horizon League and IU Indy |
| 2030 | April 6 and 8 | North Texas | AT&T Stadium | Big 12 Conference |
| 2031 | April 5 and 7 | Atlanta | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Georgia Tech |
Tickets
Official tickets are sold through NCAATickets.com. There are separate pages for men's and women's basketball, and each round has its own ticket details.
Since teams are not known until March 14, keep your plans flexible. Pick a city, watch the on-sale dates on the official site, and book travel once you know your team's path. Dates and prices can change, so check the official page before you buy.
More Sites
Answers
The 2027 men's Final Four is at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The national semifinals are on Saturday, April 3, and the national championship game is on Monday, April 5. Michigan State University is the host school. Detroit last hosted the men's Final Four in 2009.
For the men's tournament, the host cities are Dayton, Wichita, Pittsburgh, Omaha, Fort Worth, Spokane, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Louisville, Sacramento, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Kansas City, New York and Detroit. The women's regionals are in Philadelphia and Las Vegas, and the women's Final Four is in Columbus.
The Opening Round is played at two sites on March 16 and 17. Games are at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, and INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. There are 12 games in total, six on each day. The winners move on to the 64-team First Round.
The First Four had four games in a 68-team field. The Opening Round replaces it with 12 games because the field grows to 76 teams. Twenty-four teams play in it, and the 12 winners join the 64-team bracket. Dayton hosted the First Four, and Wichita is the new second site.
The Midwest Regional is at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Sweet 16 is on Friday, March 26, and the Elite Eight is on Sunday, March 28. The Big 12 Conference is the host. The regional winner earns a spot in the Final Four in Detroit.
No. The men's early rounds are at eight neutral arenas, while the women's first and second rounds are at campus sites. The men's tournament has four regional sites, and the women's has two, Philadelphia and Las Vegas. The women's Final Four is in Columbus, not Detroit.
Teams find out on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027, when the 76-team men's and women's fields are announced. The sites are already set, but the bracket decides which team plays at which arena. Teams cannot play early-round games in their own home arena.
Philadelphia and Las Vegas host the women's regionals in 2027, not men's games. Las Vegas also hosts the 2028 men's Final Four. Buffalo is not on the 2027 men's list, so check the year on any schedule you find.
The NCAA March Madness sites for 2027 are set, but the matchups are not. Fifteen men's sites carry the tournament from Dayton and Wichita to the Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit. The women's regionals add Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
Bookmark this page and come back after Selection Sunday on March 14. Then pick your city above and open its page for the full schedule, venue details and how to watch.
