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By this time next week, a men’s college basketball season that began all the way back in early November will end with nets having been cut and a champion crowned.
The Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will begin this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Michigan, Arizona, UConn and Illinois will aim to add their names alongside some of the greatest, most revered teams in their sport’s history.
Though March and much of the month’s trademark madness is over, the most consequential and pressurized games of the season remain. This year, those high-stakes contests will take place between four teams that were all in the top 12 of the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll heading into the NCAA Tournament.
For millions of fans across the country, it’s not only a chance to see a champion be determined, but to get a final taste of the sport they love until a long, seven-month offseason begins.
Here’s what you need to know to watch the Final Four this weekend:
Final Four games this weekend
The Final Four will feature a pair of national semifinal games on Saturday, April 4, with No. 2 seed UConn taking on No. 3 seed Illinois in the first contest and No. 1 seeds Michigan and Arizona squaring off in the second and final game of the day.
Final Four schedule
All times are Eastern.
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Illinois, 6:09 p.m.
- No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 2 Arizona, 8:49 p.m.
The 2026 Final Four will tip off with a matchup between No. 2 seed UConn and No. 3 seed Illinois, which is scheduled to start at 6:09 p.m. That will be followed by a highly anticipated contest between No. 1 seeds Michigan and Arizona at 8:49 p.m., though the start time of that game could be pushed back depending on how long UConn-Illinois might run.
When is the Final Four?
- Semifinals: Saturday, April 4
- Championship: Monday, April 6
The three games of the 2026 Final Four will take place on what has become its traditional spot in the first week of April. The two semifinal games will be held on Saturday, April 4, with the winners advancing to face off in the national championship game on Monday, April 6.
Final Four teams
- No. 1 Michigan
- No. 1 Arizona
- No. 2 UConn
- No. 3 Illinois
The four teams competing in the 2026 Final Four are No. 1 seed Michigan, No. 1 seed Arizona, No. 2 seed UConn and No. 3 seed Illinois.
While the Huskies are seeking their third title in the past four years, the championship drought has been longer for the three other semifinalists. The Wildcats haven’t won a national title since 1997 and the Wolverines, who have lost in the NCAA championship game twice in the past 13 years, are looking to win it all for the first time since 1989. A championship would be the first ever for the Fighting Illini.
Where is the Final Four?
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
The 2026 Final Four will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the home venue of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
It’s the first time Indianapolis has hosted the event since 2021, when the entire NCAA tournament took place in the state of Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Final Four games this weekend: Schedule, start times for NCAA Tournament semifinals
