March Madness Ticket Buying Guide
Everyone wants a seat at the “Big Dance” — from coaches and players to fans and bettors alike. For teams, a spot in the NCAA Tournament must be earned after a grueling college basketball season. For fans, though, all it takes is a ticket to be part of the madness.
In this guide, our experts at OnlineSportsBetting break down everything you need to know about securing your March Madness tickets — from when and where to buy them, to key dates for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, plus a few insider tips on how to wager on the games once you’re there.
Let’s dive in.
When to Buy March Madness Tickets
With the 2025–26 college basketball season still a few weeks from tip-off in November, it’s far too early to know which programs will punch their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The field of 68 won’t be revealed until Selection Sunday next March, once conference play and championship week wrap up.
That said, a few perennial powerhouses almost always find their way into the conversation — programs like Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Purdue, and Arizona. They’ve become fixtures of March Madness thanks to their recruiting strength and deep postseason runs. Behind them are strong contenders such as Baylor, Marquette, and Houston, each capable of turning a solid regular season into a deep tournament push.
Of course, part of the magic of March lies in the surprises. Underdog programs like San Diego State, Saint Mary’s, and Iowa State have proven in recent years that they can crash the party and make noise on the national stage.
If you’re planning to experience the action in person, it pays to start early. Ticket demand spikes as the bracket takes shape, especially for regional and Final Four rounds. Keep an eye on the official NCAA ticket portal and trusted resale sites — and, if you’re also planning to wager on the games, major sportsbooks will be rolling out special March Madness odds, parlays, and bonus promos as the season unfolds.
So, even though the ball hasn’t gone up yet, now’s the perfect time to start plotting your March Madness journey for 2026.
March Madness 2026 Teams
The 68 teams for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament have not yet been selected. The official field will be announced on Selection Sunday, March 15, 2026, when the NCAA Selection Committee reveals the full bracket. Teams qualify either by winning their conference tournaments (earning automatic bids) or through at-large selections, which are determined based on season performance, strength of schedule, and overall rankings. Once the field is set, the committee assigns seeds from No. 1 to No. 16 in each of the four regions, balancing the bracket to ensure competitive matchups.
Where To Buy March Madness Tickets
Multiple avenues exist for purchasing NCAA Tournament tickets — some legit, some not-so. These next four options are your best bet for getting official game tickets in a trustworthy manner. Believe us, your hard-earned money is in safe hands with these platforms:
NCAA Official Site
The NCAA’s official site offers verified tickets for every March Madness game, typically in two formats: session tickets, which grant access to two games at the same venue on a single day, and all-session (or full-strip) packages, which cover every matchup hosted at that venue throughout the weekend.
School Official Site
Each team that qualifies for the NCAA Tournament receives a limited ticket allotment for its fans, usually offered first to season-ticket holders through the school’s ticket office. Building a relationship with your team’s sales reps early can help you secure priority access when those tickets become available.
StubHub
If tickets sell out through the NCAA or participating schools, the secondary market is your next best option. Platforms like StubHub allow fans to securely buy and resell verified tickets online, offering a convenient, hassle-free way to find seats even after the official allotments are gone.
SeatGeek
SeatGeek is another trusted platform in the secondary market, offering secure, on-site transactions that verify every ticket. It’s a reliable option for fans looking to safely purchase legitimate March Madness seats online.
2026 March Madness Schedule
Ready for tip-off? Here’s the provisional 2026 March Madness schedule:
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15
- First Four: March 17-18
- First round: March 19-20
- Second round: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite Eight: March 28-29
- Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
- NCAA championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
March Madness Betting at Bovada
One of the most recognized names in all of online gambling is none other than Bovada. Essentially it’s the U.S. counterpart of Bodog and since launching in 2011, has steadily grown its user base.
Bettors flock to Bovada for many reasons, but chief among them are selection and it’s user experience. When it comes to the latter, the site is stock-piled with betting lines from an array of sports and leagues across the world. Of course, NCAA basketball is a part of that and Bovada supports the league with lines for just about every Division I hoops game.
Second, there are few competitors that outdo Bovada in terms of its playing experience. With a slick and intuitive design, bettors should have no problem finding and placing a wager at Bovada. This goes for both desktop and mobile users since the interface is one and the same across either device type.
MyBookie’s Markets for the March Madness
Not only is MyBookie an inviting name for a sportsbook, but it also lives up to the billing. MyBookie is effectively a one-stop-shop for online gambling. College basketball bettors won’t miss a beat on MyBookie. The site offers it all — spreads, moneylines, over/unders, futures, props, and then some.
What sets MyBookie apart is its generous crypto sign-up bonus, offering new players a 100% match on their first deposit (up to $1,000) when using the promo code CRYPTO100. The offer carries a 10x rollover requirement, but it’s one of the best values in the industry. A $1,000 bonus can go a long way during March Madness — perfect for stretching your bankroll across three weeks of nonstop action. Just bet smart; after all, it’s your bonus to play with, not ours.
Plenty of March Madness Lines at BetUS
We also highly recommend BetUS, which offers one of the most generous welcome packages in the industry — worth up to $3,125 in total. The bonus includes a 100% sportsbook match up to $2,500 and a 25% casino bonus up to $625. Be sure to review the site’s terms and playthrough requirements for full details. BetUS also features a lucrative refer-a-friend program that can earn players up to $6,000 in bonuses — an excellent way to pad your bankroll ahead of March Madness.
More March Madness Resources
Want more March Madness-related guides? Check out the articles below for further reading.
- March Madness odds: There’s no one way to bet on the “Big Dance.” We cover all the March Madness betting methods here and believe us, there’s plenty.
- March Madness futures: One such wagering method is futures, and it’s mighty popular among bettors. This article breaks down futures betting in-depth.
- March Madness bracket predictions: Everyone and their mother fills out a bracket for March Madness. Here are some tips about doing so successfully — including why a perfect bracket is virtually impossible.
- March Madness favorites: Who are the betting favorites heading into the tourney? We cover that, plus more, in this handy guide.
- March Madness locations: We touched on this slightly, but this article has the full list of hosting sites for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
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