Starfish Bracket Challenge

Deadline: Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time

Who?

You, your family, your friends, your neighbors, you name it! Anyone with access to the Internet can join.

What?

We invite you to join the Starfish community in predicting which U.S. college men's and women’s basketball teams will advance during playoffs! You do not need to be a basketball trivia expert to participate.

When?

Tuesday, March 17th, through Monday, April 6th: Men’s tournament

Wednesday, March 18th, through Sunday, April 5th: Women’s tournament

Where?

The World...Wide Web

Why?

To have some competitive fun, and to help Starfish!

(Plus, there are prizes!)

How (To Join)?

Join one or both of our CBS Sports groups. (There are separate groups for the men’s and women’s tournaments.) You must complete a "bracket" in one of our CBS Sports group to indicate your predictions.

You can complete your bracket anytime starting on the evening of Sunday, March 15th (when brackets are revealed). Please make sure to do so before 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, March 19th for the men’s tournament and before 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, March 20th for the women’s tournament.

How (Much)?

Participation is free! However, a donation to The Starfish Foundation is strongly encouraged: $25 (USD) for one bracket, and $40 (USD) for two brackets. You can opt to donate when you register.

You can donate on behalf of a participant who cannot afford to do so by donating an additional $25 (USD) or more.

How (to Have even More Fun)?

Another option that we recommend is to join our Starfish Bracket Challenge Facebook group! In this group, you can discuss your thoughts on the playoff and championship games with other challenge participants.