TV info, tip-off time revealed for BYU’s 2026 NCAA Tournament opener

PORTLAND, Ore. – BYU basketball will open the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19, in Portland.

The Cougars won’t find out who they will face until Tuesday night, when Texas takes on NC State in the First Four in Dayton.

While BYU waits to find out its Round of 64 opponent, they do know what time its game will be on Thursday.

BYU basketball first round NCAA Tournament game: How to watch

Tip-off for Thursday’s game, First Round NCAA Tournament game, will be at 5:25 p.m. (MT) on TBS & KSL NewsRadio. The game will be played at the Moda Center, home of the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers.

Announcers for the game will include Brad Nessler, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jared Greenberg on the sideline. Nessler was on the call for BYU’s first and second round games in Denver last year, as BYU reached the Sweet 16.

Wally Szcezerbiak is a former Miami (OH) star and NBA veteran.

What channel is TBS on?

TBS is one of four networks that will televise the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

• DirecTV: 247
• Dish: 139
• Xfinity: 1434 (in Salt Lake City)

How to Stream BYU vs NC State/Texas

• March Madness Live

You can watch every NCAA Tournament game on the March Madness Live App by logging in using your TV provider credentials.

• Paramount
• MAX

You can sign up for Paramount+ or MAX’s streaming service and watch BYU vs. Texas/NC State on those platforms.

Other streaming platforms that offer TBS include:

• YouTube TV
• Hulu + Live TV
• DirecTV Stream
• Sling (Orange and Blue plans)

How To Listen To BYU Basketball in the NCAA Tournament

The radio call of BYU vs. NC State/Texas can be heard on KSL NewsRadio in Utah at 102.7 FM and 1160 AM. There will be no online/app streams of the game on KSL NewsRadio or the KSL Sports apps.

BYU’s Voice of the Cougars, Greg Wrubell, and former BYU basketball player Mark Durrant will be on the call.

BYU vs. NC State/Texas

First Round – 2026 NCAA Tournament

Location: Portland, Oregon

Arena: Moda Center

Tip-Off: 5:25 p.m. (MT)

TV: TBS

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM in Utah)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYUathletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

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