Get in on March Madness in Philadelphia

Get in on March Madness in Philadelphia

From NCAA Men’s Basketball games live and in-person, to hotels with courts to work on your game, to the best sports bars to watch March Madness play out, this is your guide to the 2026 road to the Final Four in Philadelphia.

The road to the 2026 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Final Four runs through Philadelphia.

Saint Joseph’s University, in partnership with PHL Sports, will host a full slate of First and Second Round March Madness games on Friday, March 20, and Sunday, March 22. All the action will take place throughout the day at Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia.

Coming to town to see your alma mater or cheer on your favorite collegiate team? This guide has you covered on how to get tickets, where to stay, and what to check out while in Philly.

Here’s how to get March Madness tickets

Just love basketball and want to make sure you don’t miss out on the action? Tickets are already on sale on Ticketmaster. The tickets are broken up into sessions, with two two-game sessions (afternoon and evening) on March 20 and a final two-game session featuring the winning teams on March 22. Fans looking to level up the action can purchase upgraded NCAA Fan Experience passes and even rent luxury suites for the games.

(Note that the exact times of games and which teams will be matching up in Philly won’t be revealed until Selection Sunday on March 15, 2026.)

Play and stay at these top Philadelphia hotels

What better way to spend your downtime while in Philly for the tournament than shooting some hoops without even needing to leave your hotel? Two city hotels feature basketball courts as a premier perk.

Stay in the heart of Center City Philadelphia with access to a full athletic facility at The Bellevue Hotel. Part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, guests of the historic hotel can access the Sporting Club at The Bellevue that “offers guests a state-of-the-art fitness center spanning 100,000-square-feet,” including an NBA-regulation basketball court. After you shoot hoops, take a dip in the pool, practice your golf swing, or take a fitness class.

Located along the Delaware River with access to the restaurants and bars of the vibrant Fishtown neighborhood, Rivers Casino and entertainment venues, Riversuites at the Battery has plenty to offer from location alone. But, once you add in access to a fully-equipped basketball court, this spot is a slam dunk for NCAA fans. Various suite options for up to four guests and full kitchenettes are available.

Looking to catch the action of other March Madness games while in Philly? Stop into these sports bars

Whether you’re in town to go to college basketball games or just watch the March Madness action, there are several clutch options to choose from.

Any visit to the South Philly Sports Complex isn’t complete without a stop into Stateside Live! With its massive television screens and wide array of food options, you will be satisfied while being able to capture every moment of each game. Not far from the Sports Complex is iconic Philly sports bar Chickie’s and Pete’s, offering its “World Famous Crabfries,” plenty of screens, and lots of drinks on tap. Chickie’s is even offering all-you-eat buffet options during the day on March 19 and 20, and its Buckets & Brews promotion throughout the tournament.

You don’t have to leave Center City to capture the sports bar vibe during Madness, with Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, City Tap House, Founding Fathers, and Misconduct Tavern all among favorite spots for locals and tourists to catch the games while enjoying food and drink. If you want to soak in some history with your beers and basketball, check out McGillan’s Olde Ale House, which dates back to the 1860s.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House

Did you know one of the biggest moments in NCAA Tournament history happened in Philadelphia?

The date was March 28, 1992. With legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino roaming the sideline, two of college basketball’s “Blue Blood” programs battled back and forth. Kentucky and Duke needed overtime after regulation ended with the score 93-93.

The star-packed lineups exchanged leads in overtime, then Coach K called timeout, trailing 103-102 with 2.1 seconds left. What happened next is widely considered one of the greatest college basketball moments ever—Grant Hill chucks the ball three-quarters of the way down the court, Christian Laettner catches it, fakes right, dribbles once, turns and shoots. The moment — simply called “The Shot” — is etched in college basketball lore and it happened at the now-defunct Spectrum, which sat across the parking lot from the current Xfinity Mobile Arena.



That epic Elite Eight matchup was one of many NCAA men’s March Madness games held in Philadelphia. The 1976 and 1981 Final Fours took place at the Spectrum with Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers taking home the National Championship each time. The century-old Palestra on the University of Pennsylvania campus has hosted 48 tournament games during its storied history.

Philly last hosted NCAA men’s tourney games back in 2022, when North Carolina shut down Cinderella No. 15-seeded St. Peter’s at the then Wells Fargo Center.

How many cities can claim five programs that have played in a Final Four? Philadelphia’s Big 5 includes National Champions like Villanova and La Salle, and Final Four participants like Saint Joe’s, Penn, and Temple.

On the women’s side, Philly has hosted several NCAA tournament games, including the 2000 Final Four at Xfinity Mobile Arena (then known as the First Union Center). The 2000 Final Four featured Rutgers, Penn State, and UConn, which claimed its second (of 12, and counting?) national championships under Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, native Geno Auriemma. The NCAA Women’s Division I basketball tournament returns to Philadelphia in 2027, when the Xfinity Mobile Arena will host regional round games.