The tournament began in 1939 with an eight-team field. Then in 1951, the field expanded to 16 teams. Slowly, teams kept getting added on until the field got to 64 teams in 1985. That lasted 16 years when the Mountain West conference joined Division-1, expanding the teams to 65. In 2011, the field expanded one more time to 68 teams, which hasn't changed.

Watch the 2026 NCAA Tournament for free on DAZN  (check your region for availability). Every game, every upset, and all the drama are at your fingertips. 

March Madness 2026 begins on Sunday, March 15, with the Selection Show, as the 68-team, four-region field will be revealed, and the trek to the Final Four in Indianapolis begins. 

DAZN News has the list of every team that has made the NCAA Tournament.

Watch March Madness 2026 for free on DAZN

DAZN is the home of March Madness with games streamed live and on demand. Even better, right now, every game is free to watch on DAZN.

Watch via the free DAZN App on over 100 devices, including smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and laptops/PCs.

Click here for more information and to sign up to watch March Madness for free.

How do I watch March Madness 2026 on DAZN?

If you are a DAZN subscriber, you already have access to watch the NCAA Tournament.

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You can watch via the DAZN App, available on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and web browsers.

If you do not have the app already, follow these instructions:

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What countries are airing March Madness on DAZN?

You can watch March Madness on DAZN in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Poland,  Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (inclusive of all naming), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, Philippines.