Tampa Bay’s March Madness® Bracket is Set!
Tampa to Welcome Eight Teams - Including the No.1-Seed University of Florida- to Benchmark International Arena
TAMPA, FL - On Sunday night, the NCAA® Selection Committee unveiled the official bracket for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, featuring eight teams set to compete in Tampa Bay at Benchmark International Arena, March 20 and 22.
Leading the South Region is No.1 seed and SEC regular-season champion University of Florida (26-7), which will face play-in game winner, Prairie View, as the No.16-seed. Also, in the South Region, fans will see a marquee ACC-Big Ten matchup as Clemson (24-10) takes on Iowa in a highly anticipated No. 8 vs. No.9 contest.
In the Midwest Region, Alabama enters Tampa as the highest-seeded team at No.4. The SEC’s Crimson Tide will face No.13 seed Hofstra (24-10), while Texas Tech (22-10) of the Big 12 will square off against Akron (29-5) in a classic No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchup.
“We are thrilled to welcome March Madness back to Tampa Bay and to host such an outstanding group of teams and fans at Benchmark International Arena,” said Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director Lanness Robinson. “The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is one of the premier sporting events in the world, and our community takes great pride in delivering a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches, and fans who travel here. We’re grateful to partner with the University of South Florida as the host institution and look forward to an incredible atmosphere while showcasing everything Tampa Bay has to offer on this national stage.”
Tournament action begins Friday, March 20, with four games across Sessions 1 and 2. The winners will return Sunday, March 22, for two games in Session 3, where teams will compete for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Game Times - Friday, March 20
- Texas Tech (5) vs. Akron (12) -- 12:40 p.m., airing on truTV*
- Alabama (4) vs. Hofstra (13) - 3:15 p.m., airing on truTV*
- Clemson (8) vs. Iowa (9) - 6:50 p.m., airing on TNT*
- Florida (1) vs. Prairie View - 9:25 p.m., airing on TNT*
Tampa Bay has hosted NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament action six times, most recently in March 2011, when the community hosted the Second and Third Rounds. In 2008, Tampa earned the nickname “Upset City” after the First and Second Rounds featured several double-digit-seed upsets, including No.12 Western Kentucky over No.5 Drake, No.13 San Diego over No.4 UConn, No.13 Siena over No.4 Vanderbilt, and No.12 Villanova over No.5 Clemson.
The University of South Florida, which also earned a berth in the 2026 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed in Buffalo, will serve as the Host Institution for the event, with Benchmark International Arena serving as the host venue.
Tickets are on sale now at NCAA.com/MBBTickets