ESPN Bracket 2026 — Siena Busts Every Duke Bracket, Perfect Brackets Already Dead
⚡ LIVE MARCH MADNESS UPDATE — Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 3:15 p.m. ET
The 2026 ESPN bracket has been shredded on the very first day of the NCAA Tournament. Siena is leading No. 1 Duke — the most popular championship pick in 25% of all brackets — setting off a bracket-busting earthquake. Nebraska just made history with their first-ever tournament win. TCU upset Ohio State. And perfect brackets are already extinct across every major platform.
ESPN Bracket Buster — Siena vs Duke LIVE
Duke is the most popular pick to win the 2026 championship, with 25.15% of ESPN bracket challenge entries selecting the Blue Devils to win the title. Siena leading Duke in the second half means the single most popular bracket pick in the country is on the brink of total collapse — and ESPN's bracket challenge leaderboards are already shifting dramatically.
More than 130 days have passed since the 2025-26 men's college basketball season tipped off, and the first round has arrived with immediate chaos — the Siena Saints threatening the most catastrophic first-round upset since UMBC over Virginia in 2018.
Thursday Completed Results — Bracket Damage Already Done
TCU was the first bracket-buster of the day, beating Ohio State 66-62. TCU led by 15 at halftime — teams with halftime leads of 15 or more were a perfect 34-0 over the previous three tournaments. Ohio State climbed all the way back to take a 51-50 lead at the 7:24 mark before David Punch's dish to Xavier Edmonds with four seconds left sealed it for the Horned Frogs.
Nebraska made history with their first-ever NCAA tournament win — 76-47 over Troy. Pryce Sandfort set a program record with seven 3-pointers in an NCAA tournament game. Nebraska shot 14-of-39 from beyond the arc while holding Troy to 8-of-28 from three and forcing 17 turnovers, turning those into 17 points.
Full Thursday Bracket Scorecard
| Result | Winner | Upset? |
|---|---|---|
| TCU 66, Ohio State 62 | TCU | ✅ Yes — No. 9 over No. 8 |
| Nebraska 76, Troy 47 | Nebraska | No. 4 seed |
| Prairie View 67, Lehigh 55 | Prairie View | First Four |
| Miami Ohio 89, SMU 79 | Miami Ohio | ✅ First Four Upset |
| Wake Forest 82, Navy 72 | Wake Forest | No. 6 seed |
| GW 79, Utah Valley 78 | George Washington | ✅ Upset |
| Illinois State 79, Kent State 58 | Illinois State | No. 6 seed |
| Dayton 80, Bradley 66 | Dayton | No. 3 seed |
| New Mexico 107, Sam Houston 83 | New Mexico | No. 5 seed |
| Saint Joseph's 69, Colorado State 64 | Saint Joseph's | ✅ Upset |
| Nevada 89, Murray State 75 | Nevada | No. 5 seed |
| California 91, UIC 73 | California | No. 5 seed |
Most Popular ESPN Bracket Upset Pick — South Florida
No. 11 South Florida was the most popular first round upset pick among fans, with 42.14% of brackets having the Bulls advancing over Louisville. Louisville currently leads South Florida 78-72 with under a minute left — meaning the most popular public upset pick is also on the verge of going bust.
Tonight's Remaining Thursday Games — Five More Tip Times
The remaining Thursday schedule includes Michigan State vs North Dakota State at 8:05 p.m. ET on TBS, Arkansas vs Hawai'i at 8:25 p.m. on CBS, UNC vs VCU at 10:50 p.m. on TruTV, Michigan vs Howard at 11:10 p.m. on TNT, BYU vs Texas at 11:25 p.m. on TBS, and Saint Mary's vs Texas A&M at 11:35 p.m. on CBS.
Key VCU-UNC Upset Watch Tonight
VCU has won 16 of its past 17 games entering the tournament, and North Carolina's ceiling is significantly lower with star freshman Caleb Wilson out for the season with a broken thumb. ESPN's Giant Killers model gave VCU a 39% upset probability — the highest of any first-round matchup on Thursday. The Final Four is April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the national championship April 6. Update your ESPN bracket now — if Siena holds, a quarter of all brackets are already in flames.
