How to run your 2026 March Madness pool: Play for prizes, plus make an 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 17, 2026 at 1:18 pm ET • 5 min read

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One of the great American pastimes is in session with the arrival of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Millions across the world are entering March Madness pools and filling out NCAA Tournament brackets, even if they haven't watched a single game all year. But that's one of the appeals of joining 2026 March Madness pools since you could strike gold with your college basketball picks without being the most knowledgeable person in the room.

It would, however, be beneficial in knowing what the top teams are in both the men's and women's NCAA Tournament 2026. Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in the former, while the UConn Huskies are the top seed in the women's bracket. 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: The defending champs are a 1-seed for the second year in a row, this time representing the South Region after advancing from the West a year ago. They had a 12-game winning streak before a shocking 17-point defeat to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament, but one can't discount the overall body of work of the Gators. They rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, despite having the seventh-hardest strength of schedule. Florida's biggest challenge to repeating may come with a potential Elite Eight matchup versus No. 2 Houston, which would take place in the city of Houston.

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Samson has created a power at Houston as the Cougars have now made eight straight NCAA Tournaments and reached the Final Four in two of those, including a national championship game appearance last year. The Cougars are known for their defense, but elite freshman Kingston Flemings brings some offensive firepower with a team-high 16.4 points per game. Houston begins its run against Idaho on Thursday, and the Cougars are viewed as a trendy No. 2 seed to make the Final Four as they play in the South Region that also features Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, Vanderbilt and UNC. 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:

UConn Huskies: UConn has been the dominant force in women's college basketball in the 21st century, winning 11 national championships since 2000. However, until the school's championship last year, the Huskies went through a drought by their standards, going seven NCAA Tournaments without a title. This year's team looks capable of keeping pace with any of the school's champions this century, though, with UConn entering March Madness at 34-0 and sure to be the No. 1 overall seed. Forward Sarah Strong and guard Azzi Fudd have formed a top duo at 18.5 and 17.7 points per game, respectively, as the Huskies will be a tough team to take out this March.

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.