If you love the game of basketball, you are going to want to be in the heart of the country. The Midwest. The city of Indianapolis, coming up in April of 2026.
Basketball’s Biggest Stage Takes Over Indianapolis
College basketball’s biggest games and moments are coming together in one city, one week, and one incredible celebration of the game. When the ball tips in Indianapolis on April 2, 2026, it will mark the first time that all four men’s national champions, Division I, Division II, Division III, and the NIT, will be crowned in the same city.
From the iconic halls of Hinkle Fieldhouse to the massive stage of Lucas Oil Stadium, the state of Indiana is preparing to live and breathe basketball for five straight days. For fans, players, and coaches alike, it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime basketball festival. The city of Indianapolis is ready to show why it has long been known as the center of basketball.
A Championship Marathon Begins
The action kicks off Thursday, April 2, with the NIT semifinals at the legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler’s campus. The opening game starts at 7 p.m. on ESPN, followed by the second semifinal at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Then, all eyes turn toward the biggest event in college sports, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four. The road to Indianapolis begins March 17 with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. After first- and second-round action across eight cities, the winners will advance to regional play in Chicago, Houston, San Jose, and Washington, D.C.
The Final Four then will take the stage on Saturday, April 4, inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
The national semifinals will be played at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., airing live on TBS in partnership with CBS Sports.
Easter Sunday Turns into Championship Sunday
In most years, Sunday at the Final Four is a day off from roundball. Not this time. On Easter Sunday, April 5, three titles will be decided inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever.
The day begins at 1 p.m. with the Division II championship, broadcast on CBS. The Division III championship tips off at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN+, and the night wraps up with the NIT championship game at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Fans lucky enough to be in Indianapolis will see something never seen before: three different national champions crowned on the same day, in the same arena.
The Grand Finale at Lucas Oil Stadium
The five-day celebration wraps up Monday, April 6, with the NCAA Division I national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m., with TBS carrying the broadcast. It will be the city of Indianapolis’ ninth time hosting the Final Four, a historically great home for basketball’s biggest night.
A City Built for Basketball
According to the NCAA official site: “There isn’t a city in the country better suited to host these basketball championships than Indianapolis,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “No state loves its basketball more than Indiana, so to be able to stage all of these games right in the heart of Indianapolis is going to create a memorable five-day weekend of college basketball for our community and state, fans who will be in town to visit, and for the athletes fortunate enough to play in these games.”
For a city that lives and breathes basketball, this event will be more than a tournament. It’s a celebration of everything the sport means to Indiana, from high school gyms to the grandest stage of all. Coming in April, basketball fans are in for a treat like they've never had before!