What channel is Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU on? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch 2026 NCAA First Four game originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
After a 31-1 season, the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks are officially in the NCAA Tournament.
Travis Steele's squad became only the fifth team this century to go the entire regular season undefeated, finishing with a record of 31-0. While their perfect run was spoiled by a narrow 87-83 loss to UMass in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, the RedHawks' body of work earned them a historic at-large bid —marking the first time since 1999 that the Mid-American Conference has sent two teams to the tournament.
The RedHawks won't have to travel far for their opening test. They head to UD Arena for a First Four clash against the SMU Mustangs. Led by the All-ACC trio of Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr., and B.J. Edwards, the Mustangs (20-13) enter as a battle-tested at-large out of the ACC with signature wins over North Carolina and Louisville.
The RedHawks enter the Big Dance with the momentum of MAC Player of the Year Peter Suder, who led a high-octane offense that ranked second nationally in scoring. Meanwhile, the Mustangs will lean on their own star power in All-ACC Second Team guard Miller, whose late-game heroics and 19.2 points per game have made SMU one of the most dangerous double-digit seeds in the field.
Here is everything you need to know for Wednesday night's matchup in Dayton:
TV channel:truTV
Live stream: DIRECTV
Miami (Ohio) and SMU can be found on truTV, with Jordan Kent, Jim Spanarkel and Jenny Dell on the call.
Fans looking to stream Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU can watch live on DIRECTV .
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Date:Wednesday, March 18
Time:9:15 p.m. ET
The NCAA tournament game between Miami (Ohio) and SMU is set to tip off at 9:15 p.m. ET from University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio
This First Four matchup features a historic 31-1 Miami (Ohio) squad that became just the fifth team this century to finish the regular season undefeated before earning the MAC's first at-large bid since 1999. They face an SMU team making its first tournament appearance under Andy Enfield and its first overall since 2017, looking to replicate the success of their 1956 Final Four run. These two programs met in the first round of the 1984 tournament, where the Mustangs came away with an 83-69 victory.
Radio station: SiriusXM , channel 84
Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU can be found on SiriusXM channel 84.
Listen to every game of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament live on SiriusXM.
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Check the Sporting News NCAA Tournament live bracket for the latest final scores and next-round matchups.
Date:April 4 and 6
Location:Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
The 2026 Men's Final Four is set for April 4 and 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The semifinals will be played Saturday night and the national championship game is set for Monday night.
The home of the Indianapolis Colts previously hosted the event in 2010, 2015 and 2021 and is set to host again in 2029. Indianapolis previously hosted the Final Four at other facilities in 1980, 1991, 1997, 2000 and 2006.
Only Kansas City has been home to the Final Four more often (10 times), but the last one held there was in 1988.
Here is the round-by-round schedule for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament:
| Round |
Date |
|---|---|
| First Four |
March 17-18 |
| First round |
March 19-20 |
| Second round |
March 21-22 |
| Sweet 16 |
March 26-27 |
| Elite Eight |
March 28-29 |
| Final Four |
April 4 |
| National championship |
April 6 |
