Join the Free SI Bracket Challenge and Compete With the Experts

The bracket has now been set for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

These handful of days are great, because it's the time of year everyone can sit down and think that maybe they'll be the one who goes 63-for-63 (excluding the First Four games) and makes a perfect March Madness bracket. SI is allowing fans to join the fun with its College Hoops Bracket Challenge.

Michigan State mascot "Sparty" celebrates during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

If you click RIGHT HERE, you can join, fill out your bracket (either men's or women's) with your predictions, and then compete with fans and experts for the chance to land tickets to the 2027 Final Four in Detroit. The challenge is completely free for fans to join, so no purchase is necessary.

Pro tip: worry more about trying to get games later on in the tournament correct. Guessing the eventual national champion correctly is worth 320 points, which is worth as much as getting all 32 games in the first round right. Predicting a 14 seed over a 3 seed would be pretty nice, but it's not necessarily the recipe for winning the whole thing.

Predictions

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shouts instructions out during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Personally, I have Michigan State going to the Elite Eight, going past (14) North Dakota State in the first round, (11) South Florida in the second round, (7) UCLA in the Sweet 16, but then falling to top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight.

Two upsets on my bracket helped clear the path a little bit here. The first would be a USF win over (6) Louisville in the first round. The Bulls are entering the tournament on an 11-game win streak, while the Cardinals are still wondering if Mikel Brown, one of their top players, will be able to play after he suffered a back injury that sidelined him for the ACC Tournament.

Michigan State's Carson Cooper defends UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau during a Big Ten Tournament game at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Next would be a more monumental upset of UCLA over second-seeded UConn. The Bruins have been playing very good basketball lately, taking down MSU on Friday and hanging around against Purdue the next day despite not having leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau all game and point guard Donovan Dent for most of it.

Huskies coach Dan Hurley still thrives in March, but UConn has taken a couple of bad losses this year that make me think an upset is possible.

Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) dunks against UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) during the second half of Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU Has a Tough Road

MSU still has to beat these teams, though. NDSU is a feisty 14 seed that can really shoot, but taking a 14 over a 3 is still very ambitious.

USF is also a capable team, but it would perhaps have some tired legs after winning the AAC title on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala., going back to Tampa, going up to Buffalo, beating Louisville, and then facing the Spartans for its third game in six days. UCLA, simply, is a team I think Michigan State would just be extra prepared for after what happened Friday.

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler looks on during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI