Selection Sunday 2026: The CT Betting Window Opens Tonight
Selection Sunday is here. Tonight at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, the full 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket drops and March Madness officially begins. If you're planning to bet on the Big Dance — or just want to know where Connecticut's teams landed — here's everything you need to know before the madness tips off.
A Week That Changed Everything
Conference tournament week doesn't just hand out automatic bids. It reshapes the entire bracket, and - much as we predicted - the week ending today delivered more twists than anyone saw coming.
The biggest story: Florida entered the week as the projected fourth No. 1 seed, riding a dominant regular season and a national championship from 2025. They didn't survive it. Vanderbilt put the Gators away 91-74 in the SEC Tournament semifinals, their largest deficit in three seasons, effectively knocking Florida off the top seed line heading into Selection Sunday. The committee still has to decide whether Florida's body of work holds up for a No. 1 — but after being beaten by 17 on a Saturday, the Gators arrive in a much weaker position than they left Monday.
That result opened the door for both UConn and Houston to grab that final No. 1 seed. Neither team walked through it. St. John's defeated UConn 72-52 in the Big East Tournament title game, and Houston fell to Arizona in the Big 12 final. With both the Huskies and the Cougars losing, Florida is projected to regain the fourth No. 1 seed despite their loss to Vanderbilt.
Chaotic week. Wide open bracket. Exactly what March Madness is supposed to feel like.
Where Connecticut's Teams Stand
UConn Men enter tonight as a projected No. 2 seed. The Huskies beat Xavier and Georgetown before falling to St. John's in the title game — a team they'd already lost to once this season. At 29-5, UConn is expected to be joined in the tournament by St. John's and Villanova as the Big East's three representatives. A 2 seed means a manageable path to the second weekend, but another title run starts with avoiding an early upset.
St. John's had the week of the tournament. Star big man Zuby Ejiofor finished the title game with 18 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks — setting a record for the most blocks in a Big East Tournament title game. Rick Pitino's team has now won back-to-back Big East tournament titles and arrives at Selection Sunday with genuine momentum.
UConn Women remain the story of the entire tournament, men's or women's. They head into tonight at 34-0 — three wins better than when we last wrote about them — having gone through the Big East tournament without being seriously challenged. They are the consensus No. 1 overall seed in the women's bracket, which is revealed tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Yale — the Ivy League wildcard — should receive the automatic bid as projected, landing around a 12 seed when the men's bracket is revealed. The 12-over-5 upset is one of the most reliable in the tournament. Don't dismiss them.
The Bigger Picture
Duke, Michigan, and Arizona are all firmly settled as No. 1 seeds — that much was never in doubt. It's been a season of elite teams separating themselves from the field, and those three have looked the part all year.
Florida's road now runs through a bracket where they'll potentially face a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight despite arriving in uncertain form. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, goes dancing with genuine momentum — their backcourt combined for 35 points and 15 assists against the reigning national champions on Saturday and looked like a team nobody wants to see in round one.
That's the thing about Selection Sunday. It doesn't just set the bracket. It tells you who's peaking at the right time and who's limping in hoping nobody notices.
The Connecticut Betting Window — Act Tonight
This is time-sensitive. Under Connecticut state law, you can't bet on in-state college teams during the regular season. But once UConn qualifies for the NCAA Tournament — a multi-team event — a specific futures window opens.
Here's exactly how it works. From the moment tonight's bracket drops, you can bet UConn Men or UConn Women to win the NCAA Tournament outright through Fanatics Sportsbook at any MyWinners or Winners venue in Connecticut. Futures only — no game lines, no spreads, no player props. Just the championship market.
That window closes before the First Four tips off on Tuesday, March 17. You have roughly 48 hours from tonight's reveal. After tip-off, it's locked.
With UConn women as the near-certain No. 1 overall seed and defending champions, and the men entering as a projected No. 2 seed with a proven March pedigree, this is a bracket where Connecticut has two teams capable of cutting down the nets. If you want to back them, Selection Sunday is your starting gun.
The Schedule from Here
Tonight, March 15 — Men's bracket reveal, 6 p.m. ET on CBS. Women's bracket reveal, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 17-18 — First Four, Dayton
Thursday-Friday, March 19-20 — Men's First Round
Thursday-Friday, March 20-21 — Women's First Round
Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22 — Second Round, both tournaments
Watch every game at your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue. Bet through the Fanatics Sportsbook counters in-venue.
Find your nearest Winners venue here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket revealed?
The men's bracket is revealed tonight, Sunday March 15, at 6 p.m. ET on CBS. The women's bracket follows at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
What seed is UConn men projected to receive in the 2026 NCAA Tournament?
UConn enter Selection Sunday as a projected No. 2 seed after falling to St. John's in the Big East Tournament title game. Their final seed will be confirmed tonight.
Is UConn women the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament?
All major bracketologists project UConn as the No. 1 overall seed after completing a 34-0 season including a Big East Tournament title. The committee's decision is confirmed tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
Can I bet on UConn in the NCAA Tournament in Connecticut?
Yes — but only within a specific window. Once the bracket drops tonight, you can place a futures bet on UConn to win the tournament through Fanatics Sportsbook at any MyWinners or Winners venue in Connecticut. That window closes before the First Four tips off on Tuesday, March 17. Game lines, spreads, totals, and player props on CT teams remain off the board.
When does the 2026 NCAA Tournament begin?
The First Four play-in games are Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17-18. The main bracket First Round tips off Thursday, March 19.
Who are the projected No. 1 seeds in the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament?
Duke, Michigan, and Arizona are firmly established as three of the four No. 1 seeds. Florida is projected as the fourth despite a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
