NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Comes To OKC In 2026

Part of the first two rounds of the men's NCAA March Madness tournament are set to take place in Oklahoma City.

The original bid to host the event was made in 2019, but since a school or a conference has to host the event, the city partnered with the Big 12 Conference.

Now, as the University of Oklahoma moves to the Southeastern Conference next year, there's a chance both conferences could choose to host the event together.

However, the approaching start date of the 2026 tournament begs the question of whether or not the Paycom Center is a capable host.

Sue Hollenback, the special projects manager for the City of Oklahoma City, said the arena is going through changes right now with brand new seats, a scoreboard, and other upgrades as part of MAPS 4.

"While MAPS, the money, and these upgrades are not necessarily for the NCAA event, they will be in place in 2026," Hollenback said. "It just gives visitors, fans, and the media a much better experience when they are here... the bid was awarded in 2020, and there was no talk of a new arena then. The bid was done specifically for the Paycom Center and its ability to host the event."

The NCAA tournament bid process for 2026-2030 opens up in July.