The road to a national title tips off in earnest Thursday afternoon.
The No. 1 overall seed Duke will open its 2026 NCAA Tournament run against No. 16 Siena in a classic March Madness first-round mismatch, with the Blue Devils looking every bit like a championship frontrunner and the Saints hoping to become this year’s bracket-busting Cinderella.
Duke (32-2), fresh off an ACC title and powered by star freshman Cameron Boozer, enters as the tournament’s top overall seed and one of the most dominant teams in the country.
Siena (23-11), meanwhile, punched its ticket by winning the MAAC Tournament and is making its first NCAA appearance since 2010 — already a win before the real challenge begins.
Duke vs. Siena: what to know
- When: March 19, 2:50 p.m. ET
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: DIRECTV
The winning team will move on to Round Two, where they’ll face either No. 8 Ohio State or No. 9 TCU on Saturday, March 21.
Duke vs. Siena start time
Duke vs. Siena is scheduled to tip off at 2:50 p.m. ET today, March 19.
How to watch Duke vs. Siena for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.
NCAA Tournament 2026 key dates
- First Round: March 19-20
- Second Round: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite 8: March 28-29
- Final 4: April 4
- National Championship: April 6
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