The women’s 2026 March Madness tournament has tipped off, and now it’s time for the first round of games. Today we’ve got South Carolina vs. Southern, UConn vs. UTSA, UCLA vs. California Baptist, Iowa vs. Fairleigh Dickinson and more. This year’s women’s NCAA tournament will be broadcast across ESPN’s suite of channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. The final will air on ABC.
For a complete breakdown of key dates and how to watch every game, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a look at how to watch the entire tournament from the first round to the Championship Final.
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How to watch today’s women’s March Madness games
Dates: March 18 – April 5, 2026
TV channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ABC
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, Fubo, DirecTV and more
Today’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament game schedule
All times Eastern.
Saturday, March 21
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11:30 p.m.: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard (ESPN2)
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12 p.m.: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont (ESPN)
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1 p.m.: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern (ABC)
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1:30 p.m.: No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Virginia (ESPN2)
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2 p.m.: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield (ESPN)
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2:30 p.m.: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison (ESPNU)
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2:30 p.m.: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island (ESPN News)
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3 p.m.: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA (ABC)
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3:30 p.m.: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC (ESPN2)
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4 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson (ESPN)
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5 p.m.: No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio) (ESPNU)
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5:30 p.m.: No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse (ESPN2)
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7 p.m.: No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point (ESPN News)
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7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton (ESPN2)
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9:30 p.m.: No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado (ESPN2)
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10 p.m.: No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 California Baptist (ESPN)
Where to watch women’s March Madness games
All women’s tournament games will be available across ESPN’s suite of channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. The championship final on April 5 will be broadcast on ABC.
Where to stream March Madness games without cable
Every game of the 2026 women’s March Madness Tournament will stream on ESPN Unlimited. You’ll also be able to access every game on live TV services like Sling, Fubo and DirecTV.
ESPN’s streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of seven linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and more. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content only available on the app, and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays and more). Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.
Sling TV’s Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription. Sign up for a single day ($4.99), a weekend ($9.99), or a full week ($14.99) and watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, and over 30 more channels. No strings attached.
Want to catch a specific sporting event like the women’s March Madness tournament that’s spread across additional channels that Sling Orange doesn’t typically carry? You can customize your channel lineup with a Sports Extra add-on to get additional coverage of ESPNU and more for just one additional dollar.
2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament schedule
The schedule and locations for the women’s tournament:
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Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on ESPN
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Second round: March 22-23
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Sweet 16: March 27-28 in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.
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Elite Eight: March 29-30 in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.
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Final Four: Friday, April 3, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix
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NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 5, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix