The first day of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament set the bar high.
The 11-seed VCU Rams and 12-seed High Point Panthers delivered the first March Madness upsets. AJ Dybantsa scored the most points (35) by a freshman in his first NCAA Tournament appearance in BYU’s loss to Texas. More points poured in, with Michigan, Illinois and St. Louis all surpassing the 100-point mark on Thursday.
The action doesn’t slow down on Friday as the games continue and there are still more tips to come (all times ET):
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(16) Prairie View A&M vs. (1) Florida: 9:25 pm
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(13) California Baptist v. (4) Kansas: 9:45 pm
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(15) Foreman vs. (2) Yukon: 10 pm
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(10) Missouri vs. (7) Miami: 10:10 pm
ESPN reporters are on site across the country, tracking the biggest events in real time.
