The 2026 NCAA men’s tournament Final Four is just around the corner, as the final (and most important) weekend of college basketball arrives in full force to kick off the month of April.
The Final Four returns to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this season for the first time since 2021, when Gonzaga, Baylor, Houston and UCLA made the final weekend. Baylor went on to cut down the nets over Gonzaga for the first national championship of the Scott Drew era.
Here’s a full breakdown of everything you need to know heading into the Final Four.
Men’s Final Four schedule
The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 4, with Game 1 set for 6:09 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium. Game 2 is slated for approximately 8:30 p.m. ET on the same court following the conclusion of Game 1.
| Teams | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Illinois | 6:09 p.m. ET | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan | Approx. 8:30 p.m. ET | Lucas Oil Stadium |
Location
The 2026 Final Four will be contested in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will mark the ninth time that the city has hosted the final college basketball weekend of the year, and this April will be the fourth time the Final Four has been played at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here’s a full breakdown of the previous Final Four results in Indianapolis.
| Year | Participants | Champion | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Louisville, UCLA, Iowa, Purdue | Louisville over UCLA | Market Square Arena |
| 1991 | Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, UNLV | Duke over Kansas | RCA Dome |
| 1997 | Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota | Arizona over Kentucky | RCA Dome |
| 2000 | Michigan State, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin | Michigan State over Florida | RCA Dome |
| 2006 | Florida, UCLA, George Mason, LSU | Florida over UCLA | RCA Dome |
| 2010 | Duke, Butler, West Virginia, Michigan State | Duke over Butler | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2015 | Duke, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan State | Duke over Wisconsin | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2021 | Baylor, Gonzaga, UCLA, Houston | Baylor over Gonzaga | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2026 | Arizona, Michigan, UConn and Illinois | TBD | Lucas Oil Stadium |
How to Watch
This season, TBS holds the broadcast rights for the Final Four and national championship games as part of a broadcasting partnership with CBS that has been in place since 2016. In even-numbered years since 2016, TBS has broadcast the Final Four and national championship games, while CBS has carried the coverage in odd-numbered years.
| Game | Date | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Four Game 1 | Saturday, April 4 | 6:09 p.m. ET | TBS |
| Final Four Game 2 | Saturday, April 4 | Approx. 8:30 p.m. ET | TBS |
| National Championship | Monday, April 6 | 8:30 p.m. ET | TBS |
More March Madness From Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- Why Michigan Could Absolutely Beat Texas to Take a Final Four Spot
- Duke’s Cayden Boozer Had Saddest Line About His Brother After Heartbreaking Loss to UConn
- SI:AM | UConn’s Dynasty Lives On
- The Men’s Final Four Has One Massive Showdown and Plenty of Historic Storylines
- Duke’s Season Wasn’t Supposed to End in Another Stunning NCAA Tournament Exit
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NCAA Men’s Tournament Final Four Is Set: Schedule, Location and How to Watch.
