The 10 most fascinating facts about the 2026 March Madness Final Four
The 2026 Final Four won't have Duke or defending champ Florida, but it's still a hugely interesting event with exciting semifinals. 10 facts to know:
The 2026 Final Four doesn't have Duke. It doesn't have defending national champion Florida . Yet, it's still an event with sexy national semifinal games and a national championship game, which is likely to be fun and compelling.
Let's give you 10 fascinating facts about this gathering in Indianapolis, with UConn, Illinois, Arizona and Michigan all vying for the trophy on Monday Night, April 6. Streak broken The last two Final Fours had a national championship game between No. 1 seeds.
That streak was snapped this year with Duke losing to UConn. Arizona and Michigan will play in the national semifinals, but the winner will not face a 1 seed in the title game. New coaches Two of the coaches at the Final Four are first-timers: Brad Underwood of Illinois and Tommy Lloyd of Arizona.
Three of the coaches are making their first Final Four appearance at their current employer. Dusty May reached the Final Four at Florida Atlantic, but this is his first Final Four as Michigan's coach. UConn at the Final Four UConn has reached the Final Four seven times before this one.