Where to stay for March Madness 2026? Hotels near every host site

• The 2026 NCAA March Madness tournament is a major driver of sports tourism across the U.S.
• Dayton, Ohio, will host the 'First Four' games on March 17 and 18 to kick off the tournament.
• First and second-round games will be held in various cities, including Buffalo, San Diego, and Philadelphia.
• Many hotels close to the stadiums across the country still have limited availability.

2026 is the year for sports travel, from the Winter Olympics and the World Baseball Classic, to increased traffic in many major cities for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Those are all unique to this year—while the NCAA March Madness tournament happens every year, it still drives tourism to the host sites for basketball fans from all over the country.

Whether you're heading to Dayton, Ohio in the hopes of catching the beginning of an incredible Cinderella story, heading to a host site like San Diego to see your favorite team play between trips to the beach, or headed to Philadelphia for a little history lesson between games, you'll have plenty of options on where to stay. The USA TODAY Shopping team has curated some hotel options for you, depending on your location.

Where to stay for March Madness

If you're waiting to see where your team is going to play in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, bookmark this page, a list of all the men's March Madness sites for the first week of games, and available hotels by proximity to the stadiums.

Where to stay in Dayton for March Madness

Dayton, Ohio is going to host the first four games of the March Madness tournament, on March 17 and March 18. These four games are known as the 'first four'—the first four games in the March Madness bracket, which are play-in games for the at-large bid teams and the No. 16-seeded teams. The matchups for these games are listed below. See hotels close to the University of Dayton arena.

Dayton, Ohio March Madness teams, schedule

• Tuesday, March 17 - No. 16 Howard vs. No. 16 UMBC at 6:40 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, March 17 - No. 11 N.C. State vs. No. 11 Texas at 9:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 17
• Wednesday, March 18 - No. 16 Lehigh vs. No. 16 Prairie View at 6:40 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, March 18 - No. 11 SMU vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) at 9:15 p.m. ET

Where to stay in Buffalo for March Madness

Buffalo is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres, the matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Buffalo, N.Y. March Madness teams, schedule

• Thursday, March 19 - No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida at 1:30 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State at 4:05 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard at 7:10 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis at 9:45 p.m. ET - Shop tickets

Where to stay in Greenville for March Madness

Greenville, S.C. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, which is home to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the stadium in Greenville.

Greenville, S.C. March Madness teams, schedule

• Thursday, March 19 - No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Ohio State at 12:15 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 16 Siena vs. No. 1 Duke at 2:50 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 11 VCU vs. No. 6 North Carolina at 6:50 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 14 Pennsylvania vs. No. 3 Illinois at 9:25 p.m. ET - Get tickets now

Where to stay in Oklahoma City for March Madness

Oklahoma City is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Paycom Center, which is home to the Oklahoma City Thunder, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City March Madness teams, schedule

• Thursday, March 19 - No. 13 Troy vs. No. 4 Nebraska at 12:40 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 12 McNeese vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt at 3:15 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 7 St. Mary's at 7:35 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 15 Idaho vs. No. 2 Houston at 10:10 p.m. ET - Get tickets now

Where to stay in Portland for March Madness

Portland, Ore. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Moda Center, which is home to the Portland Trailblazers, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the Moda Center in Portland.

Portland March Madness teams, schedule

• Thursday, March 19 - No. 12 High Point vs. No. 5 Wisconsin at 1:50 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 13 Hawaii vs. No. 4 Arkansas at 4:25 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - Texas/NC State vs. No. 6 BYU at 7:25 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Thursday, March 19 - No. 14 Kennesaw State vs. No. 3 Gonzaga at 10 p.m. ET - Get tickets now

Where to stay in Tampa for March Madness

Tampa, Fla. is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Benchmark International Arena, which is home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the stadium in Tampa.

Tampa March Madness teams, schedule

• Friday, March 20 - No. 12 Akron vs. No. 5 Texas Tech at 12:40 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - No. 13 Hofstra vs. No. 4 Alabama at 3:15 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 Clemson at 6:50 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - Prairie View A&M/Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida at 9:25 p.m. ET - Get tickets now

Where to stay in Philadelphia for March Madness

Philadelphia is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Xfinity Mobile Arena, home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia March Madness teams, schedule

• Friday, March 20 - No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State at 1:50 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU at 4:25 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF at 7:25 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman at 10 p.m. ET - Shop tickets

Where to stay in San Diego for March Madness?

San Diego is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Viejas Arena, home of the San Diego Aztecs men's and women's basketball teams, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to Viejas Arena in San Diego.

San Diego March Madness teams, schedule

• Friday, March 20 - No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Long Island at 1:45 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State at 4:10 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa at 7:10 p.m. ET - Shop tickets
• Friday, March 20 - No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 CA Baptist at 9:45 p.m. ET - Shop tickets

Where to stay in St. Louis for March Madness?

St. Louis is one of the host sites for the first and second round. First round games will take place March 19-20, while second round games will take place March 21-22. Games will be played at Enterprise Arena, home of the St. Louis Blues, those matchups are listed below. See hotels close to Enterprise Arena in St. Louis.

St. Louis March Madness teams, schedule

• Friday, March 20 - No. 10 Santa Clara vs. No. 7 Kentucky at 12:15 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - No. 15 Tennessee State vs. No. 2 Iowa State at 2:50 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - No. 15 Queens University vs. No. 2 Purdue at 7:35 p.m. ET - Get tickets now
• Friday, March 20 - No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 7 Miami at 10:10 p.m. ET - Get tickets now

When is March Madness 2026?

The 2026 March Madness tournament will kick off after the 68-team bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday, which lands on Sunday, March 15 this year. The tournament will continue through March, ending with the Final Four on Saturday, April 4 and the National Championship game on Monday, April 6.

March Madness 2026 full schedule for the men's tournament

• March 17-18: First Four
• March 19-20: First round
• March 21-22: Second round
• March 26-27: Sweet 16
• March 28-29: Elite 8
• April 4-5: Final Four
• April 6: National Championship