ITHACA, N.Y. – Let the madness begin! The 2026 edition of Ivy Madness heads to Ithaca, N.Y. this weekend with the women's portion of the tournament taking place on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 while the men's tournament begins on Saturday, March 14 and concludes on Sunday, March 15. 

On Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, Newman Arena will be open to all fans to watch each participating team’s open shootaround. Fans are encouraged to attend the sessions and get an early peek into each team as they prepare for the weekend's semifinal. For those not in attendance, the Ivy League on ESPN team will have full coverage from Newman Arena. Each session will be live on ESPN+. The women's show can be watched HERE and the men's show can be watched HERE. 

More information is available at IvyMadness.com. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

TIME	GAME	COVERAGE
4:30 p.m.	Women's Semifinal No. 1: No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 4 Brown	ESPN+ | Stats
7:30 p.m.	Women's Semifinal No. 2: No. 2 Columbia vs. No. 3 Harvard	ESPN+ | Stats

 
SATURDAY, MARCH 14

TIME	GAME	COVERAGE
11 a.m.	Men's Semifinal No. 1: No. 1 Yale vs. No. 4 Cornell	ESPNU | Stats
2:30 p.m.	Men's Semifinal No. 2: No. 2 Harvard vs. No. 3 Penn	ESPNEWS | Stats
5:30 p.m.	Women's Championship Game: Winner No. 1/4 vs. Winner No. 2/3	ESPNU | Westwood One | Stats

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

TIME	GAME	COVERAGE
12 p.m.	Men's Championship Game: Winner No. 1/4 vs. Winner No. 2/3	ESPN2 | Westwood One | Stats

WOMEN'S PREVIEW:
No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 4 Brown
Princeton claimed the Ivy League title and the tournament’s top seed after finishing 12-2 in conference play. The Tigers will meet Brown, which secured the final tournament spot and finished fourth in the standings.

Princeton won both regular season meetings between the teams. The Tigers first defeated Brown 58-49 in Providence before earning a 69-37 victory at Jadwin Gymnasium later in the season. In the most recent matchup, Princeton used a strong defensive effort and a 30-point performance from Madison St. Rose to pull away. The Tigers have been one of the league’s most balanced teams offensively, with all five starters providing consistent scoring production. 

Brown is making its first Ivy Madness appearance since 2017, entering postseason play after a strong conference campaign highlighted by the scoring ability of Grace Arnolie and the interior presence of Alyssa Moreland. Arnolie has led the Bears offensively throughout the season, while Moreland has been a key contributor on the glass. 

No. 2 Columbia vs. No. 3 Harvard
Columbia and Harvard split their two regular season meetings this year. The Lions earned a 58-55 win in the first matchup with a last second shot by Perri Page, while the Crimson responded with a 68-64 victory at Levien Gymnasium on the final weekend of the regular season.

Columbia has leaned on its defense throughout Ivy League play, while Ivy League Player of the Year Riley Weiss and Defensive Player of the Year Perri Page have led the Lions offensively throughout the season.

Harvard has relied on its balance throughout conference play, with contributions coming across the lineup as the Crimson remained near the top of the standings all season.

With the season series split, the semifinal sets up as a tightly contested matchup with a spot in the Ivy League Championship Game on the line.

MEN'S PREVIEW
No. 1 Yale vs. No. 4 Cornell
Yale enters Ivy Madness as the number seed after finishing the year as regular season champions after finishing 11–3 in conference play and 23–5 overall on their way to the number one seed. Yale is looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season as the Bulldogs have been impressive thus far, combining a balanced offense with one of the conference’s strongest defenses. They averaged more than 81 points per game while allowing just over 70, giving them the best scoring margin in the league.

Cornell enters Ivy Madness trying to win the tournament on their home court at Newman Arena. The Big Red finished fourth in the Ivy standings at 8–6 in conference play as Cornell’s offense has been one of the most explosive in the conference, averaging nearly 89 points per game — a style that often turns games into fast-paced shootouts.

The teams split their regular-season meetings, including a 72–69 Cornell win in Ithaca late in February.

No. 2 Harvard vs. No. 3 Penn
Second-seeded Harvard enters the weekend after finishing 10–4 in Ivy League play during the regular season. The Crimson relied on one of the league’s strongest defensive units throughout the year, consistently limiting opponents and controlling the pace of games.

Penn, the No. 3 seed, finished just behind Harvard in the standings at 9–5 in conference play and arrives in Ithaca with momentum after a strong finish to the regular season.

Harvard is trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 while Penn aims to get to the Big Dance in Fran McCaffery's first year at the helm for the Quakers.