Michigan State will face North Dakota State in the first round of the 2026 March Madness men’s tournament. Michigan State earned the No. 3 seed in the East Region this year and finished third in the Big Ten regular season standings. North Dakota State will enter the NCAA Tournament ranked 14th. They will be unveiled this Thursday at 4:05 pm ET at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
We’ve got you covered with a list of the key dates, teams and how to watch every March Madness game. Here’s how to watch the entire NCAA Tournament, from the first round to the championship finals.
advertise
How to watch Michigan State vs. North Dakota State in the first round of March Madness:
date: March 19, 2026
time: 4:05 pm
TV channel: TNT
Streaming media: DirecTV, HBO Max and more
When is the Michigan State vs. North Dakota State game taking place??
Michigan State’s game against North Dakota State will be held on Thursday, March 19th. Kickoff is 4:05 p.m. ET.
where to watch Michigan State University vs. North Dakota State University:
Thursday’s Michigan State game against North Dakota State airs on TNT.
Where to live broadcast No cable required for March Madness games:
Every game from the 2026 Men’s March Madness Tournament airing on TBS, TNT or truTV will be streamed live on HBO Max. You can also watch games through live TV services like DirecTV.
HBO Max is the streaming home for a ton of great sports programming, including NCAA sporting events like the men’s March Madness tournament. This means games that air on networks like TNT, TBS and truTV will also be available to HBO Max subscribers.
In addition to great sports programming, HBO Max also offers: pete industries,etc. Subscriptions to the platform start at $10.99, but to watch live sports, you’ll need a Standard or Premium plan, priced at $18.49/month or $22.99/month respectively.
Which teams will compete in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship?
Here are the details of each first-round match schedule, including who will be competing and how to watch.
advertise
All times Eastern
Thursday, March 19
-
12:15pm: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
-
12:40pm: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
-
1:30 pm: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
-
1:50 pm: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
-
2:50pm: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
-
3:15pm: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
-
4:05 pm: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
-
4:25pm: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
-
6:50 pm: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
-
7:10pm: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
-
7:25pm: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or North Carolina (TBS)
-
7:35pm: No. 7 Saint Mary’s University vs. No. 10 Texas A&M University (TruTV)
-
9:25pm: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn State (TNT)
-
9:45pm: No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 St. Louis (CBS)
-
10pm: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
-
10:10pm: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
Friday, March 20
-
12:15pm: No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
-
12:40pm: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
-
1:35pm: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Liu (TNT)
-
1:50 pm: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
-
2:50 pm: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
-
3:15pm: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
-
4:10 pm: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State University (TNT)
-
4:25pm: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio State) or SMU (TBS)
-
6:50 pm: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
-
7:10pm: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
-
7:25pm: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
-
7:35pm: No. 2 Purdue University vs. No. 15 Queen’s University (TruTV)
-
9:25pm: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida State (TNT)
-
9:45pm: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 California Baptist (CBS)
-
10pm: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
-
10:10pm: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)
2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule:
Men’s match schedule and locations:
-
Sunday Selection: Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET on CBS
-
Top four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
-
First round: Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
-
Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
-
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
-
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
-
Top Four: Saturday, April 4, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
-
NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 6, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
