Selection Sunday is just two weeks away, so it’s time do your homework before making your 2026 NCAA Tournament picks. Although last year’s brackets lacked many big upsets, college basketball parity means this year could be different. Until 2018, no 16 seed had ever defeated a No. 1. Now, it has happened twice. Could it happen again in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket? On the men’s side, a number of powerhouses all have a clear shot to make noise. Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Iowa State are all in position to claim No. 1 seeds in the 2026 March Madness bracket.

Recent national champions like UConn and Florida are right behind. On the women’s side, UConn entered weekend play unbeaten with UCLA and South Carolina among their top competitors. With the action so close, now is the time to set up your 2026 Men’s March Madness pools and 2026 Women’s March Madness pools. 

If you’re looking for a NCAA Tournament bracket game home, CBS Sports is the perfect place. You can play Bracket Games free on the CBS Sports App in pools with your friends and join free Men’s and Women’s Bracket Challenges to potentially win big prizes.* Get started right here.

How to create a 2026 NCAA Tournament pool with friends and family

Run your own free 2026 March Madness pool on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app and invite all of your friends, family, and co-workers to play against you during this year’s tournament. 

To start a bracket pool for Men’s March Madness, go to the Create Men’s Bracket Pool page, name your group and choose if you want a locked pool where you control the invites or an open pool that everybody can share. After that, just confirm your rules and then you can copy and share your personal pool link with friends or have CBS Sports send them emails.

For a Women’s March Madness pool, you can follow the exact same process but start at the Create Women’s Bracket Pool page in order to start your pool for the Women’s NCAA Tournament.

How to play 2026 March Madness Brackets for prizes

There are CBS Sports NCAA Bracket Challenges for the men’s and women’s tournaments and a trip to each 2027 Final Four on the line in both challenges. It’s easy to compete for those epic trips. 

For the Men’s Challenge, simply click this link, click the “Join Now” button and enter.* Fill out your men’s bracket after it is revealed on Sunday, March 15, and the winner of the trip to the 2027 Final Four will be chosen from among the entrants. If you’ve already created brackets in pools with friends, you can quickly enter the Challenge by importing an already-created bracket.

You can also enter the Women’s CBS Sports Bracket Challenge later that night after the Selection Show at 8 p.m. ET. Importing your brackets from your women’s pools is a convenient option for filling your Women’s Challenge brackets as well. 

The men’s bracket deadline is March 19 when first round action tips off, while the women’s bracket deadline is March 20. To be eligible, follow the steps above to join the Men’s Challenge and then join the Women’s Challenge here before each tournament begins.

2026 NCAA Tournament Men’s teams to watch

Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Men’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the Tournament approaches: 

Florida Gators: Don’t look now, but the defending national champions are back in the mix. The seventh-ranked Gators entered the weekend on an eight-game winning streak and were atop the SEC standings. Florida features a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging double-figure scoring. They are led by junior forward Thomas Haugh, who is averaging 16.9 points, six rebounds and two assists. The Gators are 5-3 against ranked opponents, including recent wins over Alabama and Kentucky.

Arizona Wildcats: Arizona opened the season with 23 consecutive victories before suffering its first loss against Kansas on Feb. 9. The Wildcats went on to lose their second straight against Texas Tech, but they’ve picked up several impressive victories this season, including wins over Houston, BYU, UConn, Alabama and Florida. Arizona features a plethora of offensive playmakers, and the Wildcats can cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor as well. Tommy Lloyd’s men will be battle tested heading into the 2026 March Madness brackets, and the Wildcats will be in the hunt for a No. 1 seed with a strong finish to the regular season.  Join the CBS Sports 2026 NCAA Men’s Bracket Game here.

2026 NCAA Tournament Women’s teams to watch

Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Women’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the 2026 NCAA Tournament approaches: 

UCLA Bruins: Cori Chase’s squad made the Final Four for the first time in program history last season and are cementing their status as a contender in 2026. The Bruins are off to a 26-1 start with a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big Ten and Lauren Betts continues to dominate after an All-American season in 2024-25. The center is averaging 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks per game and leads an experienced UCLA roster whose top six scorers are all seniors.

Vanderbilt Commodores: Vanderbilt has used NIL to reshape its athletic department as has found success in football and men’s basketball. However, the women’s squad might be the university’s best shot at a national championship this season, as the Commodores are 24-3 overall and 10-3 in the SEC. Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes is averaging 25.9 points per game this season and Vanderbilt checks in at No. 5 in the latest AP poll. Join the 2026 Women’s Bracket Game here.

How to enter 2026 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Bracket Games

Ready to set up your 2026 NCAA Tournament pools? Get started from the bracket lobby to play 2026 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Bracket Games with friends and for a chance to win trips to the 2027 Final Four.

*No purchase necessary. See rules for details.

Michael Carrick cut a frustrated figure as his unbeaten start to life as Man Utd head coach came to a disappointing end at Newcastle.

Michael Carrick said his Manchester United side must learn their lessons from a painful defeat at Newcastle after seeing his unbeaten start in the job come to an end.

United had a man advantage for the whole of the second half after Jacob Ramsey was sent off before the break, with Anthony Gordon and Casemiro both scoring in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

But they failed to press home that advantage, with Newcastle starting on top and dominating the early exchanges in the second half, which left Carrick particularly agitated on the touchline.

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United did weather the storm and seemed more likely to find a winner before William Osula’s stunning 90th-minute goal and Carrick admitted defeat was a painful one to take.

Asked what was irking him at the start of the second half, he said: “Just the way the game was going. Emotions are part of the game. Certain things we wanted to do and we didn’t do it.

“It’s football, these things happen in the game, it goes away from you. There are certain things we have to do. We can be an awful lot better.

“I’m really, really disappointed with tonight, for different reasons. But we can’t lose sight of the position we’ve got ourselves in as well.

“So, as much as I’m disappointed, and we need to learn from it, because it’s been a lesson for us tonight in some ways, we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture as well.”

As the travelling West Ham supporters descended into pandemonium at Craven Cottage, Crysencio Summerville stood still, arms outstretched and smiling.

The Dutchman had every reason to grin as he celebrated his fifth Premier League goal of the season to help the Hammers to a vital 1-0 victory against Fulham.

His 65th-minute strike was enough to continue the his side’s quest for Premier League survival in 2026 – on a night when they gained two points on 17th-place Nottingham Forest.

The forward – who struggled for both form and confidence after joining from Leeds United in August 2024 – has now managed more goals in his last 10 appearances for the club (seven), than he did in his first 38 (one).

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Summerville said: “We have to fight until the end, that’s what we did. I am very pleased to get the three points.

“I am in a good space. I love to play, I am just happy to be back and I try to show it every week.

“We have to keep going now. We took positives from the Liverpool game, we had lots of positives, the fans behind us are very pleased and we are going in the right direction – the only way is up.”

But it’s not only Summerville who is finding his feet as the business end of the season looms – West Ham are, too.

The Hammers have now accumulated 14 of their 28 points this season in their past eight Premier League games.

Such an impressive run for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side means that if they defeat Manchester City when they return to Premier League action on 14 March, they will be out of the relegation zone for the first time since December.

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has accused Morocco of putting pressure on the Confederation of African Football over the hosting of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco was earlier confirmed as host of the tournament, which would have marked their third straight time staging the competition. However, uncertainty has surrounded the event in recent weeks, with reports suggesting the North African nation may be reconsidering its position.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe had previously said the tournament would go ahead in Morocco as planned. Despite that statement, speculation has continued.

Speaking at a press conference, McKenzie praised Morocco for organising the last Africa Cup of Nations but questioned their commitment to the women’s competition.

“If Morocco is ready to host the WAFCON because they had a brilliant AFCON, they should do so,” McKenzie said.

“But if they are not ready, we want to tell them, we are not a country with no stadiums, a country that doesn’t host games. We are not a country with less infrastructure. We will never be held hostage by countries that have less than what we have.”

He added that women’s football deserves respect and proper planning.

“We will not allow women’s football to be treated in such a fashion. We don’t wait for anyone,” he said.

McKenzie also made it clear that South Africa is prepared to step in if needed.

“If Morocco is not going to host it, South Africa is standing ready,” he said, while noting that his remarks should not be linked to the CAF President.

Motsepe has not publicly reacted to the comments.

With the tournament drawing closer, participating countries, including Nigeria’s Super Falcons, are watching closely for a final decision from CAF on the host nation.

Jai Opetaia has been keen for title unifications since he got his hands on a cruiserweight world title, but unified champion Gilberto Ramirez is instead facing David Benavidez. Now, Opetaia has offered his thoughts on the fight.

Opetaia has been chasing a showdown with Ramirez ever since the latter unified the WBA and WBO cruiserweight crowns with a victory over Chris Billam-Smith in November 2024, but currently, hopes of seeing that affair are fading.

As if negotiations weren’t already struggling, Opetaia has opted to sign with Zuffa Boxing, who are expected to attempt to keep the Aussie involved in in-house fights, even if that means he may lose his IBF cruiserweight world title.

Outside of the Zuffa franchise, an exciting battle between Ramirez and Benavidez is set to take place on Cinco De Mayo, in what looks to be the most intriguing clash at 200lbs since Oleksandr Usyk left the division in 2018.

Speaking to The Ring, Opetaia looked ahead to the fight and revealed that he is leaning towards reigning WBC light-heavyweight ruler, David Benavidez, despite the 25lb jump up in weight.

“You have got to remember that both of these boys have come up [in weight]. It is crazy that there is two light-heavyweights fighting for a cruiserweight world title right now. They are both coming up to the weight so it’s an even match-up, the way I see it.

“I don’t know too much about Zurdo to be honest, he is a good fighter and I have never thought he was a bad fighter or anything like that, but I actually like Benavidez’s headspace and he seems like he is hungry.

“The legacy of why he is doing it, he is more pumped up and he is younger, and sh*t like that. So, I’m sort of leaning towards Benavidez but, honestly, I don’t really care. I just want this fight to be done so that we can get ours on [against the winner].”

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Ramirez vs. Benavidez is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in two months’ time, where a WBC lightweight title bout may also be added to the undercard.

In the good ol’ days, March Madness meant focusing on the games, enjoying the Cinderella stories, tracking your brackets and dreaming that your team might be the one showered with confetti on the first Monday in April as “One Shining Moment” plays.

In this NIL portal era, all of that still applies — but March Madness has morphed into just as much of a scouting mission as a bid for a national championship.

As mid-major and low-major conference tournaments unfold this week across the country — the first NCAA Tournament bid gets doled out Saturday night to the winner of the Ohio Valley Conference title game — power conference fans get to salivate over potential portal acquisitions.

Meanwhile, power conference coaching staffs will be finalizing their additions to 2026-27 rosters. Yes, finalizing.

While the portal doesn’t open officially until April 7, it’s naïve to believe that highly paid consulting firms haven’t been sending targeted lists of suitable prospects to big-time head coaches who, in turn, have instructed their general managers to negotiate with agents to determine how much $$$ it will take to land their prized clients.

Yeah, that’s modern college basketball.

But enough about how things have changed so starkly over the last few years. Which sharpshooters should everyone be dreaming on?

How about Bellarmine junior forward Jack Karasinski, who’s averaging 21.3 points, shooting 42.6% from 3-point range and getting to the line more than six times per game? The only player in America who’s a more efficient go-to guy than Karasinski (according to KenPom) is Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who’ll win all the National Player of the Year awards.

Or maybe UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, the former Illinois guard who has averaged 29.7 points over the last nine games while hitting an absurd 45 of 85 from 3-point range? He’s an athletic freak, too, albeit 6-foot-1.

Perhaps Buffalo sophomore guard Daniel Freitag, a four-star prospect who did little as a freshman at Wisconsin but has restored his career arc by averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Bulls?

They are among the many fine ideas out there, but everybody — coaches, fans, the transfers themselves — should go into this process with their eyes wide open.

Based on an unofficial study conducted just now looking at every player who averaged at least 17 points per game last season, there are a lot more misses than hits when low- and mid-majors make the jump to the big time.

(Yes, picking 17 points per game while ignoring other key stats is arbitrary, but coaches are always looking for scorers, hence this decision.)

Anyway, back to this extremely scientific study. There were 118 Division I players who averaged at least 17 points last season. Fifty-five guys either ran out of eligibility or turned pro early.

Fifteen guys — including such studs as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard — stayed where they were.

That left us 48 who changed schools. Ignoring high-major guys who jumped to other high majors — fellas like PJ Haggerty (Memphis to Kansas State), Jason Edwards (Vandy to Providence) and Keyshawn Hall (UCF to Auburn) — it becomes clear that it’s rarely roses for the players who climb a notch or two to the big time.

For each Lamar Wilkerson, who went from averaging 20.5 points at Sam Houston State to 21.3 at Indiana and meriting all-Big Ten honors, there are four guys like Bucknell’s Noah Williamson (Alabama), Southern Illinois’ Ali Dibba (Texas A&M), Northeastern’s Rashad King (LSU) and Kansas City’s Jamar Brown (UCLA) who were relegated to bench roles at their new schools.

If they believed they would get similar minutes and shots at their new place, then that’s a bummer.

But, hey, as Mad Men’s Don Draper once screamed at underling Peggy Olson, “That’s what the money is for!”

Eddie Howe revealed Newcastle super sub Will Osula stayed for extra training ahead of facing Manchester United perfecting the finish that secured a box office victory for the 10-man hosts at St James’ Park.

Michael Carrick saw his unbeaten start to life as Red Devils boss come to a crushing halt on Wednesday, when Jacob Ramsey collected a second booking for an apparent dive during a dramatic end to the first half.

Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle ahead from the spot only for Casemiro to level even later in stoppage time, with both sides spending spells in the ascendancy before Osula’s solo stunner secured a 2-1 triumph.

The 22-year-old substitute showed pace, confidence and skill when scoring a wonderful goal that boss Howe said the forward had been gearing up for on the eve of the game.

“There was a moment where I thought he was going to run out of grass and it’s going to go out of play,” the Newcastle manager said. “I think he does really well to keep it in.

“I’m not trying to be wise after the event, in that moment you back Will’s ability. That’s one of his biggest strengths, running with the ball, his pace.

“Will asked after training yesterday for 10 more balls. He wanted 10 more finishes and a carbon copy of the goal he scored today. He scored eight out of 10.

“That’s all credit to the player because he wanted it, he wanted to do more before he went in. I’m a great believer in ‘do the work, you get the reward’. Delighted for him personally.”

It was a huge moment for Osula on an individual level and a huge shot in the arm collectively after three straight Premier League home losses on the bounce had darkened the mood around St James’ Park.

“A massive win for us,” Howe said. “I think we needed it. We know we needed it. It’s been a tough run for us in the Premier League.

“I think some of our performances haven’t been too bad in recent games, but we’ve found a way to lose games when maybe we shouldn’t have done.

“Today we’ve started the game really well and then we get a red card.

“There would have been an easy feeling for the lads to adopt of feeling sorry for ourselves, here we go again.

“That’s the biggest compliment I can give the lads. They really stood up that second half and they’ve all given more, they’ve all believed we can win the game.

“A brilliant end to the game. It’s one of the best emotions that I think I’ve felt, and I’m sure a lot of people will say the same, but also we haven’t done that enough.

“Hopefully that’s a goal that’s replayed quite a bit because I think Will’s deserved it.”

Carrick left St James’ Park ruing the worst performance of his reign, with third-placed United finally losing after the former midfielder oversaw six victories in an unbeaten first seven games in charge.

“Disappointed obviously,” he said. “Bitterly disappointed. It hurts that tonight. We definitely came here in good shape, looking to get something from the game, if not win the game and we’re disappointed with the way it panned out.

“We can be an awful lot better. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, a decent position with the performances and the results that we’ve had, so tonight hurts.”

Tensions boiled over in a second-round Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament game between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina.

A fight erupted with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and a referee was inadvertently knocked to the floor. The official remained on the court in visible discomfort for several moments as medical personnel provided aid.

The game’s other referee assessed a double technical foul, leading to eight ejections, most of them from South Alabama’s roster.

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The Sun Belt logo at mid-court during a game between Arkansas Little Rock and South Alabama at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans March 12, 2015. (Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

South Alabama’s Amyah Sutton, Daniela Gonzalez, Saneea Bevley, Terren Coffil, Princess Okafor Nweze and Jeriyah Baines were reportedly among the Jaguars ejected, while Coastal Carolina’s Tracey Hueston was also tossed.

The altercation began after Coastal Carolina’s Hueston and South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris exchanged words in the paint. The situation escalated when Hueston appeared to throw a punch toward Harris, prompting coaches and players from both teams to rush onto the court.

“Well, first of all, our program, we never want to be put in that situation. And we never want to act out like that. So, we don’t condone that, what happened today. It’s a very unfortunate situation for two talented basketball teams that have played in Pensacola in the tournament,” South Alabama coach Yolisha Jackson told reporters after the game.

A ball drops through the net during an SEC women’s basketball tournament game between LSU and Texas March 8, 2025, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“With young people, sometimes emotions run high, and as they go through their growth process and their maturity, sometimes things happen. But we always try to look at it as a lesson learned and make sure the next time that if we are put in a similar situation that we just respond a little differently. And, so, that’s what we’ll talk about at the hotel tonight.”

Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Pederson described the situation as “unfortunate,” adding, “I know Tracey Hueston regrets that. She’s an incredible model citizen off the floor, and she knows she can’t act that way. That was extremely frustrating for everybody, certainly something we don’t approve of in this program. It’s nothing you want to see. You hate to see that in your last game.”

Fox News Digital contacted the Sun Belt Conference for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Sun Belt Conference logo during a game between Arkansas Little Rock and South Alabama at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans March 12, 2015. (Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

South Alabama won Wednesday’s game, 80-70, advancing to the third round for a matchup with Texas State.

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Ejected players could face a one-game suspension, but their status for Thursday remains uncertain.

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Round 1 AFL game between Brisbane Lions and
Western Bulldogs. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Brisbane Lions heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Brisbane Lions vs.
Western Bulldogs
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday March 7, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Gabba

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Brisbane Lions vs Western Bulldogs Odds

Brisbane Lions vs Western Bulldogs Preview

The Brisbane Lions begin their pursuit of a potential third straight premiership when they host the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Saturday night. Brisbane strengthened an already formidable list over the offseason, landing Oscar Allen and Sam Draper via free agency while also securing academy talent Daniel Annable with pick six in the draft. However, the Lions may not be at full strength for the opener, with Allen recovering from concussion and Draper sidelined until at least Round 4 with a foot injury.

The Bulldogs enter 2026 with a largely unchanged squad after finishing 14–9 last season, but questions remain about their ability to challenge the competition’s elite. That issue was highlighted in two defeats to Brisbane in 2025, including a dramatic Gather Round clash where the Lions overturned a 39-point deficit to win 118–97 before backing it up with a 10-point victory at the Gabba later in the year.