How to run your 2026 March Madness pool: Play for prizes, plus create your NCAA Tournament game

The CBS Sports 2026 NCAA Men's and Women's Games have returned for March Madness 2026 office pools.

By Ryan Wooden

Mar 6, 2026 at 1:50 pm ET • 5 min read

Imagn Images

Selection Sunday is on March 15, the First Four starts two days later, and the NCAA Tournament 2026 begins in earnest on Thursday, March 19. This time of the year is when everyone loves to flex their knowledge of the hardwood by making 2026 March Madness bracket picks and creating 2026 NCAA Tournament pools. Heavyweights like Duke, UConn and Florida could be popular picks, but relative newcomers like Nebraska and Miami (OH) could make noise in 2026 March Madness as well.

Meanwhile, the Huskies are seemingly in a class of their own on the women's side. However, five of the top seven ranked teams call the SEC home, so one can't overlook the likes of South Carolina or LSU with March Madness brackets 2026. It's never too early to start thinking about NCAA Tournament pools, which top seeds will have quick exits and which Cinderellas will have deep March Madness runs. With the action so close, now is the time to set up your 2026 Men's March Madness pools and 2026 Women's March Madness pools.

If you're looking for a NCAA Tournament bracket game home, CBS Sports is the perfect place. You can play Bracket Games free on the CBS Sports App in pools with your friends and join free Men's and Women's Bracket Challenges to potentially win big prizes.* Get started right here.

How to create a 2026 NCAA Tournament pool with friends and family

Run your own free 2026 March Madness pool on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app and invite all of your friends, family, and co-workers to play against you during this year's tournament.

To start a bracket pool for Men's March Madness, go to the Create Men's Bracket Pool page, name your group and choose if you want a locked pool where you control the invites or an open pool that everybody can share. After that, just confirm your rules and then you can copy and share your personal pool link with friends or have CBS Sports send them emails.

For a Women's March Madness pool, you can follow the exact same process but start at the Create Women's Bracket Pool page in order to start your pool for the Women's NCAA Tournament.

How to play 2026 March Madness Brackets for prizes

There are CBS Sports NCAA Bracket Challenges for the men's and women's tournaments and a trip to each 2027 Final Four on the line in both challenges. It's easy to compete for those epic trips.

For the Men's Challenge, simply click this link, click the "Join Now" button and enter.* Fill out your men's bracket after it is revealed on Sunday, March 15, and the winner of the trip to the 2027 Final Four will be chosen from among the entrants. If you've already created brackets in pools with friends, you can quickly enter the Challenge by importing an already-created bracket.

You can also enter the Women's CBS Sports Bracket Challenge later that night after the Selection Show at 8 p.m. ET. Importing your brackets from your women's pools is a convenient option for filling your Women's Challenge brackets as well.

The men's bracket deadline is March 19 when first round action tips off, while the women's bracket deadline is March 20. To be eligible, follow the steps above to join the Men's Challenge and then join the Women's Challenge here before each tournament begins.

2026 NCAA Tournament Men's teams to watch

Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Men's Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the Tournament approaches:

Florida Gators: Don't look now, but the defending national champions are back in the mix. The seventh-ranked Gators entered the weekend on an eight-game winning streak and were atop the SEC standings. Florida features a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging double-figure scoring. They are led by junior forward Thomas Haugh, who is averaging 16.9 points, six rebounds and two assists. The Gators are 5-3 against ranked opponents, including recent wins over Alabama and Kentucky.

Arizona Wildcats: Arizona opened the season with 23 consecutive victories before suffering its first loss against Kansas on Feb. 9. The Wildcats went on to lose their second straight against Texas Tech, but they've picked up several impressive victories this season, including wins over Houston, BYU, UConn, Alabama and Florida. Arizona features a plethora of offensive playmakers, and the Wildcats can cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor as well. Tommy Lloyd's men will be battle tested heading into the 2026 March Madness brackets, and the Wildcats will be in the hunt for a No. 1 seed with a strong finish to the regular season. Join the CBS Sports 2026 NCAA Men's Bracket Game here.

2026 NCAA Tournament Women's teams to watch

Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Women's Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the 2026 NCAA Tournament approaches:

UCLA Bruins: Cori Chase's squad made the Final Four for the first time in program history last season and are cementing their status as a contender in 2026. The Bruins are off to a 26-1 start with a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big Ten and Lauren Betts continues to dominate after an All-American season in 2024-25. The center is averaging 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks per game and leads an experienced UCLA roster whose top six scorers are all seniors.

Vanderbilt Commodores: Vanderbilt has used NIL to reshape its athletic department as has found success in football and men's basketball. However, the women's squad might be the university's best shot at a national championship this season, as the Commodores are 24-3 overall and 10-3 in the SEC. Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes is averaging 25.9 points per game this season and Vanderbilt checks in at No. 5 in the latest AP poll. Join the 2026 Women's Bracket Game here.