One step off the plane and it is clear — a college basketball champion will soon be crowned. Brackets are quite literally towering over. Just take a look at the JW Marriott Hotel.
Indy is #MarchMadness ready 🤩#MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/pIDCdGYFWh
— NCAA Men’s Final Four (@MFinalFour) March 19, 2026
What started with 68 now ends with just four: Arizona, UConn, Illinois and Michigan.
Arizona returns for the first time in 25 years, while Illinois is back for the first time in 21. Michigan is seeking its first national championship since 1989, plus UConn returns for the third time in four years after losing to Florida in the second round in 2025.
Open practice tips off today, giving fans an close-up look at the Final Four before the games begin.
Then, it’s semifinal Saturday. First up is UConn vs. Illinois at 6:09 p.m. ET on TBS. Can Connecticut continue its dynasty? Can Dan Hurley lead the Huskies to a third national title in four years? Illinois looks like a team that peaked at exactly the right time and earned its place on college basketball’s biggest stage. Now the question is whether the Illini can keep that momentum going.
Then it is Arizona vs. Michigan. Arizona has waited 25 years to return to the Final Four, powered by a fearless freshman trio in Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov. Now, the Wildcats will try to prove their young stars are ready for the sport’s biggest stage against a Michigan team that has been one of the nation’s most dominant all season.
If you couldn’t make it to Indy for the Big Dance, no worries because we have you covered right here all weekend.
.webp?ssl=1 "The state of play at Alpine after three rounds of the 2026 season")
