When is the Women's March Madness tournament? Dates, times, TV info

When is the 2026 March Madness Women's NCAA tournament? Dates, times, TV Channels, Streaming.

Let the Madness of March begin!

It's finally March, which means it's time for the NCAA tournament and all of the chaos that comes with it, including shocking losses, triumphant wins and breakout stars. This year's NCAA Women's Tournament promises to be exciting as it unfolds on the sport's biggest stage.

Last year's national championship game was one for the ages as Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies won the program's 12th title under head coach Geno Auriemma over South Carolina.

This year, UConn looks to repeat, but not if the Gamecocks have anything to say about it. Other teams, like the UCLA Bruins and Texas Longhorns, will also want to get in the mix to stop the Huskies after losing in the Final Four last season.

Here's Sportshistori.com everything you need to know about the 2026 women's March Madness basketball tournament:

When is Women's Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 women's basketball NCAA Tournament will be unveiled at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15.

What channel is Women's Selection Sunday on?

The 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament selection show will air on ESPN.

When does the Women's March Madness start? 

The first women's game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be on March 18, starting with the First Four.

Full Women's March Madness 2026 schedule, dates

The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament unfolds over the course of nearly three weeks during March, with the Final Four and national championship game in April in Phoenix, Arizona.

Here’s the rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

First Four: March 18-19

First round: March 20-21

Second round: March 22-23

Sweet 16: March 27-28 (Fort Worth and Sacramento)

Elite Eight: March 29-30 (Fort Worth and Sacramento)

Final Four: April 3 (Phoenix)

NCAA championship game: April 5 (Phoenix)

2026 Women's college basketball conference tournament dates, schedule

Horizon: March 2-10 (Indianapolis)

Sun Belt: March 3-9 (Pensacola, Florida)

ASUN: March 3-9 (Jacksonville, Florida)

OVC: March 4-7 (Evansville, Indiana)

ACC: March 4-8 (Duluth, Georgia)

A-10: March 4-8 (Henrico, Virginia)

Big South: March 4-8 (Johnson City, Tennessee)

Big Ten: March 4-8 (Indianapolis)

Big 12: March 4-8 (Kansas City)

SEC: March 4-8 (Greenville, SC)

Summit: March 4-8 (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

MAAC: March 5-9 (Atlantic City, New Jersey)

SoCon: March 5-9 (Asheville, North Carolina)

WCC: March 5-10 (Las Vegas)

America East: March 9-13 (on campus)

Big East: March 6-9 (Uncasville, Connecticut)

Mountain West: March 7-10 (Las Vegas)

Big Sky: March 7-11 (Boise)

Patriot: March 7-15 (on campus)

Southland: March 9-12 (Lake Charles, Lousiana)

SWAC: March 9-14 (Atlanta)

NEC: March 9-15 (on campus)

American: March 10-14 (Birmingham, Alabama)

CUSA: March 10-14 (Huntsville, Alabama)

Big West: March 11-14 (Henderson, NV)

MAC: March 11-14 (Cleveland)

MEAC: March 11-14 (Norfolk, Virginia)

WAC: March 11-14 (Las Vegas)

CAA: March 11-15 (Washington, D.C.)

MVC: March 12-15 (Coralville, Iowa)

Ivy: March 13-15 (Ithaca, New York)

Where is the 2026 Women's Final Four?

This year's women's basketball Final Four and championship games will be at Mortgage Matchup Arena in Phoenix on April 3 and 5.

Who won the 2025 women's March Madness tournament?

Paige Buckers led the UConn Huskies to the program's 12th national championship under UConn head coach Geno Auriemma with an 82–59 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the national title game. 

Auriemma's 12 national championships are the most by any coach in both men's and women's college basketball, ahead of UCLA's John Wooden, who has 10 titles.

In 2026, UConn is looking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the Huskies won four consecutive titles from 2013-2016.

Women's March Madness champions list by year 1982-2026

Here is every national champion and their record since the March Madness women's basketball tournament began in 1982:

2025: Uconn (37-3)

2024: South Carolina (38-0)

2023: LSU (34-2)

2022: South Carolina (35-2)

2021: Stanford (31-2)

2020: Tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic

2019: Baylor (37-1)

2018: Notre Dame (34-3)

2017: South Carolina (33-4)

2016: Connecticut (38-0)

2015: Connecticut (38-1)

2014: Connecticut (40-0)

2013: Connecticut (35-4)

2012: Baylor (40-0)

2011: Texas A&M (33-5)

2010: Connecticut (39-0)

2009: Connecticut (39-0)

2008: Tennessee (36-2)

2007: Tennessee (34-3)

2006: Maryland (34-4)

2005: Baylor (33-3)

2004: Connecticut (31-4)

2003: Connecticut (37-1)

2002: Connecticut (39-0)

2001: Notre Dame (34-2)

2000: Connecticut (36-1)

1999: Purdue (34-1)

1998: Tennessee (39-0)

1997: Tennessee (29-10)

1996: Tennessee (32-4)

1995: Connecticut (35-0)

1994: North Carolina (33-2)

1993: Texas Tech (31-3)

1992: Stanford (30-3)

1991: Tennessee (30-5)

1990: Stanford (32-1)

1989: Tennessee (35-2)

1988: Louisiana Tech (32-2)

1987: Tennessee (28-6)

1986: Texas (34-0)

1985: Old Dominion (31-3)

1984: Southern California (29-4)

1983: Southern California (31-2)

1982: Louisiana Tech (35-1)

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