The 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday with first-round action spanning from the east coast until after midnight. The field of 64 will be reduced to 32 on Friday, with the four No. 1 seed vs. 16 seed games being deemed the "worst" and likely to be blowouts. The 10-13 games featuring four teams with standout freshmen are also considered intriguing. In the 9-1 games, games featuring notable blue bloods are seen as potentially challenging. Other notable games include a game between former national title-winning players who are now coaches. The full 32-1 ranking is compiled by CNN.