The Arizona Wildcats enter the 2026 March Madness tournament as one of the No. 1 seeds (along with Florida, Duke, Michigan). The Wildcats will play their first round game this Friday against the Long Island University Sharks, who enter as a No. 16 seed. The game will air on TNT and streams on HBO Max; tipoff is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.
For a list of key dates, teams, and how to watch every March Madness game, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a look at how to watch the entire NCAA tournament, from the First Round right up to the Championship Final.
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How to watch Arizona vs. LIU in the first round of March Madness:
Dates: March 20, 2026
Time: 1:35 p.m.
TV channel: TNT
Streaming: DirecTV, HBO Max and more
When is the Arizona vs. LIU game?
The Arizona vs. LIU game is this Friday, March 20. Tipoff is at 1:35 p.m. ET.
Where to watch the Arizona vs. LIU game:
Friday’s Arizona vs. LIU game airs on TNT.
Where to stream March Madness games without cable:
Every game of the 2026 men’s March Madness Tournament that’s on TBS, TNT or truTV will stream on HBO Max. You’ll also be able to access the game on live TV services like DirecTV.
HBO Max is the streaming home for tons of great sports programming, including NCAA sports like the men’s March Madness tournament. That means that games that are broadcast on networks like TNT, TBS, and truTV will also be available to stream for HBO Max subscribers.
In addition to great sports programming, HBO Max is also home to great shows like The Pitt, Industry, and more. Subscriptions to the platform begin at $10.99, but to watch live sports, you’ll need a Standard or Premium plan, which run $18.49/month or $22.99/month respectively.
Which teams are competing in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?
The following is a breakdown of every First Round game schedule including who’s playing and how to watch.
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All times Eastern
Thursday, March 19
12:15 p.m.: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
12:40 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
1:30 p.m.: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
1:50 p.m.: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
2:50 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
3:15 p.m.: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
4:05 p.m.: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
4:25 p.m.: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
6:50 p.m.: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
7:25 p.m.: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or NC State (TBS)
7:35 p.m.: No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (TruTV)
9:25 p.m.: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn (TNT)
9:45 p.m.: No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (CBS)
10 p.m.: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
Friday, March 20
12:15 p.m.: No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
12:40 p.m.: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
1:35 p.m.: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU (TNT)
1:50 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
2:50 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
3:15 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
4:10 p.m.: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State (TNT)
4:25 p.m.: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) or SMU (TBS)
6:50 p.m.: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
7:10 p.m.: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
7:25 p.m.: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
7:35 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens (TruTV)
9:25 p.m.: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida (TNT)
9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist (CBS)
10 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
10:10 p.m.: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)
2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament schedule:
The schedule and locations for the men’s tournament:
Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on CBS
First 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
Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis