How to Buy 2026 March Madness Tickets

THERE'S A LOT to like about the month of March. Spring is on the horizon, flowers are blooming, and the brutal chill of winter is faintly fading away in the rearview mirror. But for many of us, what we most look forward to as we enter the third month of the year, is excitedly watching (read: losing money on) the NCAA Division 1 Tournament, aka March Madness. Not unlike every year before it, this season has a ton of storylines to look out for as we gear up for the final stretch before Selection Sunday when the bracket is set.

Number one-ranked Duke is the current favorite to win it all, as they've been the number one team in the country the past three weeks. But there are questions about their tournament prospects now after losing starting guard Caleb Foster to a broken foot, with center Patrick Ngongba II already out with foot soreness. Can the twin duo of Cayden and Cameron Boozer (sons of Duke legend Carlos Boozer) elevate the Blue Devils? Or will the likes of Arizona, UConn, or Florida take hold of this opening? If you want to see any of the tournament action live, then it's not a bad idea to get on that now.

In fact, rarely are there better collections of live games to experience than during March Madness. Thanks to an annual tradition of unforeseen upsets that create legendary Cinderella stories as they destroy the integrity (and potential profit) of your bracket, there are few more exciting events to see live. Sure, you can’t control having your bracket busted (literally no one’s ever completed a perfect one, so don’t feel too bad) you can certainly minimize the stress from and effort needed to buy your tickets to the games.

Below is a cheat sheet on how and where to buy March Madness tickets, so you can limit the extensive search-induced headache and even save some dough (that you may or may not invest on a few money lines).

How Much Are March Madness Tickets?

March Madness tickets can vary wildly in price depending on which arena you're going to, what round the game's in, and eventually which teams are playing. This year, we've noticed that prices have increased quite a bit from last year this early on. Tickets may get cheaper as we get to conference tournaments this week and eventually Selection Sunday, but history has shown that they tend to get more expensive once teams are locked in. If you want tickets now before teams are set, the cheapest we've been able to find so far are around $66 (fees included) for early-round games through SeatGeek, $149 (before fees) on StubHub, $160 (before fees) at Event Tickets Center, and $70 (before fees) on Ticketmaster. Keep in mind, these prices are sure to fluctuate.

However, if you're dead-set on the Final Four games or the Championship, you're going to have to shell out a bit more dough. These are generally in the hundreds and will only increase in price as the tournament plays out, but right now at SeatGeek we're seeing tickets for the Final Four as low as $230 (fees included), $298 on StubHub (again, this is before fees), $290 from Event Tickets Center (before fees), and $219 on Ticketmaster (before fees). Our advice? Treat this like a juicy spread. and jump on these immediately because it certainly won't stay at that number for long.

Where Will the March Madness Games Be Played?

Unlike comparable major sporting events like the Super Bowl (played in one city) or the World Series and NBA Finals (both split between two), March Madness games are spread out across quite a few different locations and rounds. The First Four (play-in games to determine who of the four lowest-ranked teams will qualify for the tourney) will be played at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio on March 17 and 18.

Then there’s a slew of first and second-round games played all over the place including:

• Buffalo, New York (March 19 and 21)
• Greenville, South Carolina (March 19 and 21)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (March 19 and 21)
• Portland, Oregon (March 19 and 21)
• Tampa, Florida (March 20 and 22)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (March 20 and 22)
• San Diego, California (March 20 and 22)
• St. Louis, Missouri (March 20 and 22)

These are followed by the Elite Eight games to be played in Houston (March 26 and 28), San Jose (March 26 and 28), Chicago (March 27 and 29), and Washington, D.C. (March 27 and 29). This all leads to the Final Four games on April 4 and the championship on April 6 which will be played at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for 2026. So if you're in, near, or looking to have a big March Madness trip, you can get tickets to the action.

When Do March Madness Tickets Go on Sale?

Despite the fact that any games have yet to be set, you can already buy tickets to every March Madness game. You can either purchase a set of every game happening in each round in a given city (known as all session passes), or tickets for singular-to-be-determined match-ups (usually categorized as session one, session two, or by round). Prices will only rise the closer we get to Selection Sunday on March 15 when every team in the tournament is officially set. So if you're interested, now's the best time to grab tickets.

Where to Buy March Madness Tickets?

Now, this is the most important thing when it comes to finding the best tickets at the lowest prices. Where you buy your March Madness tickets can go a long way in how easy the process is, how few fees you pay during it, and ultimately the overall value of the tickets. For our money, there are three clear top resources when it comes to where to buy March Madness tickets.