Final
Four
2026
Michigan. Arizona. UConn. Illinois. Four teams. Two games. One night in Indianapolis. The semifinals tip April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Shop your team before Thursday's sellouts.
The Final Four Is Set. Here Is How We Got Here.
Michigan. Arizona. UConn. Illinois. Those are your Final Four. The semifinals are Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The shot that got us here belongs to UConn freshman Braylon Mullins — a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining that erased a 19-point deficit and ended Duke's season. Every No. 1 seed is gone except Michigan and Arizona. They play each other Saturday night.
This is the first time since 2008 that two No. 1 seeds have met in a national semifinal. Michigan is in the Final Four for the first time since 2018. Arizona is back for the first time since 2001. UConn is making its third appearance in four years and trying to do something not done since UCLA's dynasty in the 1960s — win three titles in four seasons. Illinois ends a 21-year wait for their return to the final weekend.
Dan Hurley set the tone for this Final Four the moment Mullins released that shot in Washington D.C. on Sunday night. UConn trailed 44-25 late in the first half. They made one of their first 18 three-point attempts. Then they hit four of their final five in the last seven minutes, and Mullins — a freshman from Indiana — put it in from the logo. Duke had a 19-point lead. It did not matter. Hurley is now 17-3 in the tournament at UConn.
Your team is in Indianapolis. Officially licensed Final Four gear is live at BreakingT — shop before Saturday sellouts.
Michigan Is the Co-Favorite. Arizona Is the Other One.
The nightcap on Saturday is the marquee game of the Final Four. Michigan steamrolled Tennessee 95-62 in the Elite Eight, with Yaxel Lendeborg posting 27 points and seven rebounds and the Wolverines using a 21-0 run to turn a close game into a statement. Dusty May's team has looked increasingly dominant as the bracket has thinned — two wins by 20-plus in the first two rounds, a 13-point Sweet 16 win over Alabama, and now this.
Arizona handled Purdue 79-64 to reach their first Final Four since 2001 under Tommy Lloyd. Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, and Ivan Kharchenkov — three freshmen — have combined for the kind of tournament numbers not seen from a freshman trio since the 2012 Kentucky team with Anthony Davis that won the title. Jaden Bradley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, closes games whenever Arizona needs a bucket. The Wildcats score 42 points per game in the paint and lead the nation in free throw attempts. They have attempted fewer than 10 3-pointers in a game and still scored 109.
Illinois Has Never Won a National Title
Brad Underwood gets his first Final Four. Illinois has made six Final Four appearances without a championship. The closest they came was 2005, when they lost to North Carolina in the title game. This team has the No. 1 adjusted offensive efficiency in the country, a 7-foot-1 center in Tomislav Ivisic, a freshman projected top-10 in the NBA draft in Keaton Wagler, and a roster built from five countries. They beat Houston in the Sweet 16 and Iowa in a Big Ten rematch in the Elite Eight. Now they face UConn — the team that eliminated them in the 2024 Elite Eight.
Illinois gear for the run: Shop Illinois March Madness gear at BreakingT.
2026 Final Four Schedule — Times, Channels & Matchups
Two games Saturday night. One championship Monday. All three on TBS, TNT, and truTV. Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, and Grant Hill on the call.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, April 4 | 6:09 p.m. | 2 UConn vs. 3 Illinois | TBS / TNT / truTV | March Madness Live · HBO Max |
| Sat, April 4 | ~8:39 p.m. | 1 Michigan vs. 1 Arizona | TBS / TNT / truTV | March Madness Live · HBO Max |
| Mon, April 6 | 8:50 p.m. | National Championship Game | TBS | March Madness Live · HBO Max |
Note: Michigan vs. Arizona has no fixed tip time — it begins approximately 30 minutes after Illinois vs. UConn concludes. Expect ~8:30–9:00 p.m. ET unless the first game goes to overtime.
Final Four Pre-Game Coverage
The Final Four — All Four Teams, Every Round
How each team got to Indianapolis. The players who drove the run. The coaching stories behind the records.
Dusty May's Michigan team is making their first Final Four since 2018, and May himself is returning for his second Final Four in four years — he took Florida Atlantic there in 2023. Michigan has three starters who are 6-foot-9 or taller. Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 and grabbed seven rebounds in the 95-62 demolition of Tennessee. The Wolverines used a 21-0 run to turn a close Elite Eight game into a statement. Four of Michigan's five starters were at other schools a year ago — May built this roster almost entirely through the transfer portal in a single offseason.
| R64 | def. | (16) Howard 101-80 |
| R32 | def. | (9) Saint Louis 95-72 |
| S16 | def. | (4) Alabama 90-77 |
| E8 | def. | (6) Tennessee 95-62 (Lendeborg 27 pts; 21-0 run) |
Tommy Lloyd gets Arizona to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. The story of these Wildcats is the freshmen — Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, and Ivan Kharchenkov are only the third freshman trio to each score 50+ points entering a Final Four (the last was 2012 Kentucky with Anthony Davis, who won the title). Jaden Bradley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, is the floor general. Arizona scores 42 points per game in the paint, leads the nation in free throw attempts, and attempted fewer than 10 three-pointers against Arkansas while scoring 109.
| R64 | def. | (16) LIU 92-58 |
| R32 | def. | (9) Utah State 78-66 |
| S16 | def. | (4) Arkansas 109-88 (100+ pts, <10 3-pt attempts) |
| E8 | def. | (2) Purdue 79-64 (Peat 20 pts; dominated paint) |
Dan Hurley is 17-3 in the tournament at UConn. He beat Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and then produced the shot of the tournament Sunday night: Braylon Mullins, a freshman from Indiana, hit a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to complete a 19-point comeback against No. 1 overall seed Duke. The Huskies trailed 44-25 late in the first half, made one of their first 18 three-point attempts, then hit four of their final five in the last seven minutes. If UConn wins two more games, Hurley becomes the first coach since John Wooden to win three national titles in four years. Tarris Reed Jr. is the interior anchor. Alex Karaban, the winningest player in UConn history, could cut down his third net.
| R64 | def. | (15) Furman 82-71 |
| R32 | def. | (7) UCLA 73-57 |
| S16 | def. | (3) Michigan State |
| E8 | def. | (1) Duke 73-72 (Mullins 35-ft, 0.4 sec; down 19) |
Illinois has never won a national championship. They came closest in 2005, losing to North Carolina in the title game. Brad Underwood gets his first Final Four by winning the rematch with Iowa in an all-Big Ten Elite Eight and beating Houston in the Sweet 16. This Illinois team ranks No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency, starts a 7-foot-1 center in Tomislav Ivisic, and features freshman Keaton Wagler — a player Kansas didn't offer a scholarship who is now projected top-10 in the NBA draft. The roster comes from five countries. If they beat UConn, it would be a rematch of the 2024 Elite Eight where UConn eliminated them on their way to the title.
| R64 | def. | (14) Penn 105-70 |
| R32 | def. | (11) VCU 76-55 |
| S16 | def. | (2) Houston 65-55 |
| E8 | def. | (9) Iowa 71-59 (first Final Four since 2005) |
Michigan vs. Arizona is the first 1-vs-1 national semifinal since 2008. UConn vs. Illinois is a rematch of the 2024 Elite Eight. Every game in Indianapolis carries history.
How Every Team Got Here — All Rounds
Michigan's Path
| R64 vs (16) Howard | W 101-80 | |
| R32 vs (9) Saint Louis | W 95-72 | |
| S16 vs (4) Alabama | W 90-77 | |
| E8 vs (6) Tennessee | W 95-62 · Lendeborg 27 |
Arizona's Path
| R64 vs (16) LIU | W 92-58 | |
| R32 vs (9) Utah State | W 78-66 | |
| S16 vs (4) Arkansas | W 109-88 · Burries 23 | |
| E8 vs (2) Purdue | W 79-64 · Peat 20 |
Notable Exits — Elite Eight
| (1) Duke OUT | lost to | UConn 73-72 (Mullins, 0.4 sec) |
| (2) Purdue OUT | lost to | Arizona 79-64 |
| (6) Tennessee OUT | lost to | Michigan 95-62 |
| (9) Iowa OUT | lost to | Illinois 71-59 |
UConn's Path
| R64 vs (15) Furman | W 82-71 | |
| R32 vs (7) UCLA | W 73-57 | |
| S16 vs (3) Mich. State | W | |
| E8 vs (1) Duke | W 73-72 · Mullins 35-ft, 0.4 sec |
Illinois's Path
| R64 vs (14) Penn | W 105-70 | |
| R32 vs (11) VCU | W 76-55 | |
| S16 vs (2) Houston | W 65-55 | |
| E8 vs (9) Iowa | W 71-59 · first FF since 2005 |
Best Stories That Ended Before Indianapolis
| (1) Florida | out R32 | Iowa 73-72 (Folgueiras, 4.5 sec) |
| (11) Texas | out S16 | Purdue 79-77 (First Four → S16) |
| (4) Nebraska | out S16 | Iowa 77-71 (first S16 ever) |
| (12) High Point | out R32 | Arkansas 94-88 (beat Wisconsin) |
| (9) Iowa | out E8 | Illinois 71-59 (beat FL and NE) |
Shop the 2026 Tournament
Men's and women's officially licensed NCAA tournament shirts, hoodies, and gear. New drops added as the tournament runs.
All March Madness Gear
Men's, women's, youth, hoodies, tees. Everything officially licensed for 2026.
The Final Four Matchup Breakdown
Two games. Both on the same night. Here is what to watch in each one and why both could be decided in the final minute.
Game 1 — UConn vs. Illinois, 6:09 p.m., TBS
Three Final Fours in four years. Hurley has not lost a Final Four game at UConn. This team won a title in 2023 and 2024 and is 48 hours removed from the most dramatic shot of this tournament. Tarris Reed Jr. is the dominant interior force. Braylon Mullins — the freshman who hit the logo 3 against Duke — is not a known quantity to Illinois. Alex Karaban, two titles already, is still here.
Illinois is No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency. They beat the No. 1 offense in the Big Ten regular season (Purdue) and then handled Houston and Iowa back-to-back. Keaton Wagler is the unknown turned likely lottery pick. Ivisic is 7-foot-1. The last time UConn and Illinois met, UConn eliminated them on the way to a title. Illinois remembers. This is the rematch they have been waiting for.
Game 2 — Michigan vs. Arizona, ~8:39 p.m., TBS
Michigan has not been seriously tested since the first round. The 21-0 run against Tennessee says something about how this team responds to adversity — they eliminate it before it becomes a storyline. Yaxel Lendeborg is one of three starters listed at 6-9 or taller. May built this Final Four roster through the transfer portal in under a year. Four of the five starters were at other schools last March. This is his second Final Four in four years. His first ended at the national semifinal. He wants further.
The freshman trio of Peat, Burries, and Kharchenkov have turned Arizona's tournament into an origin story. Jaden Bradley, Big 12 Player of the Year, provides the experience and late-game execution. Arizona does not shoot 3s. They score in the paint, get to the line, and outsize opponents. Michigan also has size. This is the matchup the bracket has been building toward all month. Arizona is a slight matchup favorite in the late game, per ESPN's projection. It will be decided in transition and on the offensive glass.
Michigan vs. Arizona is the first 1-vs-1 national semifinal since Florida and Memphis met in 2008. Michigan won that year. The Wolverines were not one of those teams.
Tournament Stories That Won't Be Forgotten
| Moment | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Braylon Mullins, 35 feet, 0.4 seconds | UConn 73, Duke 72 (down 19) | The defining shot of the tournament. The No. 1 overall seed is out. Hurley is in Indianapolis again. |
| Alvaro Folgueiras, 4.5 seconds | Iowa 73, Florida 72 | The defending champion was eliminated in the second round. Iowa reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999. |
| Michigan's 21-0 run vs. Tennessee | Michigan 95, Tennessee 62 | Turned a competitive Elite Eight game into the biggest margin of any Michigan tournament win this year. Lendeborg dominated. |
| Arizona 109, Arkansas 88 — with 8 three-point attempts | S16 rout | Second team since 2000 to score 100+ in the tournament with fewer than 10 three-point attempts. Paint dominance at its clearest. |
| Nebraska's first-ever Sweet 16 | Beat Vanderbilt on a buzzer layup | Program history made, then they beat Iowa to reach the Elite Eight before falling to Illinois. |
| Texas: First Four to Sweet 16 | Beat BYU, Gonzaga, then lost to Purdue 79-77 | Sixth team ever to go from First Four to Sweet 16. Gonzaga's second straight exit before the second weekend. |
All four teams have gear live at BreakingT. Shop officially licensed Final Four gear before Saturday's sellouts.
Women's March Madness 2026
The women's tournament runs the same 68-team single-elimination format and the same March calendar as the men's. Both brackets were announced on Selection Sunday, March 15.
The 2024 national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina drew 18.9 million viewers — more than any college basketball game, men's or women's, in over five years, and more than multiple NBA playoff matchups. That audience has continued to grow. The 2026 women's bracket will feature national programs with Final Four histories alongside rising programs making statement runs in early rounds.
How to watch: ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC carry the women's tournament. The national championship airs on ABC. Every game streams on ESPN+ and via the ESPNU app. The women's Selection Sunday announcement also aired on ESPN.
Women's tournament gear is live. Shop officially licensed women's March Madness shirts and gear — new items added as the bracket runs.
Why the Women's Field Gets Mainstream Coverage in 2026
The shift in women's basketball viewership isn't incremental. It's structural. Multiple schools now sell out arenas regularly for women's games, national media coverage has expanded beyond tournament weekends, and the player recognition that once took years to develop now happens in real time across social platforms.
That changes what a March Madness gear page should do. The fan who wants to shop for a women's tournament shirt and the fan who wants a men's tournament shirt are often the same person — or two people in the same household. BreakingT's women's collection follows the same officially licensed standard as the men's product, with the same quality and the same timing relative to tournament rounds.
Women's vs. Men's Buying Logic
The same framework applies to both: team-specific gear right after Selection Sunday when the bid itself is the headline, tournament-wide gear for neutral fans and gift buyers, and deeper-run gear once a team makes the second weekend and the purchase becomes more about commemorating a run than just claiming a bid.
Shop Women's Tournament GearHow to Watch March Madness 2026
All 67 men's games are distributed across four networks. The championship game moves to TBS this year — not CBS.
CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV carry all 67 men's tournament games. Every game streams on NCAA March Madness Live. CBS games stream on Paramount+. TBS, TNT, and truTV games stream on HBO Max. The First Four begins on truTV, March 17. The championship game on April 6 airs on TBS at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Best single-app solution: NCAA March Madness Live streams every game in one place. Free access is available with most TV provider logins.
Women's tournament: ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC carry all games. Championship airs on ABC. Full streaming coverage on ESPN+ and the ESPNU app.
When to Buy — and What for the Final Four
Your Team Is in Indianapolis
The Final Four is the last moment to buy before the championship window. If your team is one of the four, this is the weekend where team-specific tournament gear carries the most meaning. Two more wins and the shirt becomes a title shirt. Buy now before the size sellouts that always hit between the semifinals and Monday night.
Your Team Is Out — Now What
If your team is already eliminated, the Final Four is still a buying window. Event-wide tournament gear, program identity shirts, and the official 2026 March Madness collection stay relevant through Monday night regardless of who wins. Fans who were all-in on the bracket often want something that marks they were along for the whole ride — tournament gear serves that purpose better than any single-team shirt does once your team is out.
All Tournament Gear| Fan Type | Best Buy | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Alum whose team just made the field | Team-specific tournament shirt | The bid is the headline. Wear it while it's current and before it sells out. |
| Fan of both men's and women's games | One of each — MBB and WBB gear | Both fields are live. Both have official gear at BreakingT. |
| Neutral fan or bracket obsessive | Official NCAA tournament logo gear | Works through every round regardless of who survives. |
| Gift buyer | Event-wide logo or college fan gear | Doesn't depend on one team's first-round result. |
| Office pool host | Single-color tournament logo tee | Neutral. Social. Works in a room with competing bracket allegiances. |
| Planning for Final Four weekend | Wait until after the Sweet 16 | Best gear selection comes once your team is actually there. |
March Madness 2026 FAQ — Final Four Edition
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Who is in the 2026 NCAA Tournament Final Four?No. 1 Michigan (Midwest), No. 1 Arizona (West), No. 2 UConn (East), and No. 3 Illinois (South). Michigan beat Tennessee 95-62 in the Elite Eight. Arizona beat Purdue 79-64. UConn came back from 19 down to beat No. 1 overall seed Duke 73-72 on Braylon Mullins' 35-foot 3 with 0.4 seconds. Illinois beat Iowa 71-59 for their first Final Four since 2005.
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When is the 2026 Final Four?Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Game 1 tips at 6:09 p.m. ET — UConn vs. Illinois on TBS. Game 2 tips approximately 8:39 p.m. ET — Michigan vs. Arizona on TBS. The national championship is Monday, April 6, at 8:50 p.m. ET on TBS at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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What channel is the Final Four on in 2026?TBS, TNT, and truTV. Both games are available on all three channels. They also stream on NCAA March Madness Live and HBO Max. These games are not on CBS and are not on Paramount+. Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, and Grant Hill call both games. Tracy Wolfson reports from the sideline.
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What happened to Duke in the 2026 tournament?Duke was eliminated by UConn 73-72 in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29. The Blue Devils led by 19 points late in the first half before UConn's Braylon Mullins hit a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining. Duke, the No. 1 overall seed, made the Elite Eight but did not reach the Final Four.
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Who is Braylon Mullins and what did he do?Braylon Mullins is a UConn freshman from Indiana. With 0.4 seconds remaining in Sunday's Elite Eight game, he hit a 35-foot 3-pointer — from the logo at center court — to complete UConn's comeback from 19 points down against No. 1 overall seed Duke. UConn had made one of their first 18 three-point attempts in that game before hitting four of their final five in the last seven minutes. Mullins' shot sent the Huskies to their third Final Four in four years.
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Has a team ever won three national championships in four years?Only UCLA, which won 10 titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975 under John Wooden. UConn won in 2023 and 2024. If the Huskies win in 2026, Dan Hurley would become the first coach to accomplish a three-titles-in-four-years run since Wooden. UConn's 16-3 tournament record under Hurley (now 17-3 after the Duke win) reflects the consistency that makes this run legitimate.
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Has Michigan ever won a national championship?Yes. Michigan won the NCAA championship in 1989. This is the Wolverines' first Final Four since 2018. Dusty May is making his second Final Four appearance as a head coach — his first was with Florida Atlantic in 2023 — in just his second season at Michigan.
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Has Illinois ever won a national championship?No. Illinois has never won the national championship. Their closest finish was 2005, when they reached the title game with a 37-2 record before losing to North Carolina. This is Brad Underwood's first Final Four as Illinois head coach. It is the Fighting Illini's sixth Final Four appearance overall and their first since 2005.
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When was Arizona's last Final Four before 2026?2001. Arizona reached the Final Four in 2001 under Lute Olson. This 2026 appearance is the first for coach Tommy Lloyd, who took over the program in 2021. Since Lloyd arrived, Arizona has won 148 games over five seasons — one more than Gonzaga won in the same period under Mark Few, the program Lloyd served as top assistant before leaving.
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Who is Yaxel Lendeborg and why does Michigan have a shirt about him?Yaxel Lendeborg is Michigan's forward who scored 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Wolverines' 95-62 Elite Eight win over Tennessee. He is one of three NBA draft prospects on Michigan's roster and a key part of the frontcourt that makes Michigan so difficult to guard in the paint. Michigan gear at BreakingT covers the 2026 tournament run including the full Michigan March Madness collection.
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Where can I buy officially licensed 2026 Final Four gear?BreakingT carries officially licensed gear for all four Final Four teams. Michigan: shop Michigan. Arizona: shop Arizona. UConn: shop UConn. Illinois: shop Illinois. Full collection: all officially licensed March Madness gear.
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When is the 2026 NCAA Championship game?Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8:50 p.m. ET on TBS at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game streams on NCAA March Madness Live and HBO Max. It is not on CBS or Paramount+.
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What is the women's March Madness 2026 schedule?The women's tournament runs parallel to the men's. All games air on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, with the championship on ABC. Every game streams on ESPN+ and the ESPNU app. Shop women's March Madness gear at BreakingT.
Michigan. Arizona. UConn. Illinois. All four have officially licensed gear at BreakingT. Final Four Saturday April 4. Championship Monday April 6. Shop before size sellouts.
Results and schedule per NCAA.com as of March 30, 2026. Final Four: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, April 4. Championship: April 6. All gear officially licensed through the NCAA. © BreakingT