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How to Watch College Basketball in Ireland [Free | 2026]

Disclosure: We research and test the best streaming options for viewers in Ireland. If you subscribe or purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The 2025-26 NCAA Men’s Basketball season kicked off on November 3, 2025, showcasing top teams from leading universities and colleges across the United States.

The season will culminate in March Madness 2026. Here, 68 teams will compete for the prestigious NCAA national championship, with the Final Four scheduled for April 6, 2026.

To watch College Basketball in Ireland, you can subscribe to paid streaming services like FuboTV and ESPN+ for comprehensive coverage. Alternatively, free sports streaming options are available, but they come with risks.

Also, ESPN+ is not available outside the US. Therefore, using a reliable VPN is essential to bypass geo-restrictions and access the service securely.

Your ISP, the Irish Government, and streaming platforms are Monitoring your Online Activity.

This means International Content staying Geo-blocked, Buffering, and even your entire Private Data can be Exposed to Third parties & Hackers.

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When & Where is College Basketball Happening?

  • Started on: November 3, 2025
  • March Madness: March 8, 2026
  • Final Four: April 6, 2026
  • Location: Universities and colleges across the United States
  • Rounds: First Four, Round of 64, Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the Championship Game.

How to Watch College Basketball in Ireland on ESPN+

ESPN+ is the official broadcaster of the NCAA Basketball Tournament in the U.S., offering full live coverage of the season for just $12.99/month.

However, since ESPN+ is restricted to the U.S. due to licensing agreements, you’ll need a VPN to access the service in Ireland.

Here’s how you can watch college basketball in Ireland on ESPN+:

Step 1: Sign up with a VPN service. Surfshark is the best VPN.

Step 2: Download and install the Surfshark VPN App on your device.

Step 3: Open the VPN and connect it to a USA server.

Step 4: Go to the ESPN+ official website and click on the Profile Icon

Step 5: Click on Create Account

Step 6: Enter your Email

Step 7: Enter your password

Step 8: Click on Get Access

Step 9: Choose between Browse Plans or Sign in with TV Provider

Step 10: If you’ve chosen browse plans, then select any suitable ESPN subscription plan

Step 11: Review your subscription plan and scroll down!

Step 13: Add your credit card/PayPal credentials to subscribe

Step 13: Select the match and enjoy the live stream!

Try Surfshark VPN


Free Method to Watch College Basketball in Ireland

You can stream every college basketball game on mobile by sideloading  RapidStreamzSportzX, or RBTV33 APKs, or by visiting viprow.nu/ OR vipleague.pm/ to stream directly from your browser.

However, both options require a premium VPN to keep your browsing private and secure, as it broadcasts the matches unofficially.

Here’s how to watch college basketball live for free in Ireland on Mobile:

Step 1: Download and install the Surfshark VPN App and connect to the US server.

Step 2: Download and install the RapidStreamz APK

Step 3: Open the app

Step 4:  Scroll down and select Sports TV

Step 5:  Select ESPNU

Step 6: Enjoy the liver stream!

Try Surfshark VPN


Watch College Basketball in Ireland on Fubo TV

Fubo TV is a leading streaming service in the US and Canada, offering a wide range of sports, news, and entertainment channels. You can watch live NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments on Fubo Sports Network and Big Network.

The platform also offers college basketball highlights, interviews, and analysis on FuboTV. On FuboTV Canada, a subscription starts at CAD 31.49/mo.

However, the platform is unavailable in Ireland due to geo-restrictions. So, you must connect to a VPN, like Surfshark, and access Fubo TV in Ireland.

Read More: Watch Fubo TV in Ireland 


Schedule for College Basketball 2025-26

Here’s a schedule of the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball matches:

DateMatchTime (IIST)
Jan 23, 2026Saint Louis vs St. Bonaventure10:30 PM
Jan 24, 2026Ohio St vs Michigan1:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Clemson vs Georgia Tech5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Vanderbilt vs MS State5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Wake Forest vs Duke5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Nebraska vs Minnesota5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Maryland vs Michigan St5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026UNC vs Virginia5:00 PM
Jan 24, 2026Villanova vs UConn5:30 PM
Jan 24, 2026Georgia vs Texas6:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Houston vs Texas Tech7:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026West Virginia vs Arizona7:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Virginia Tech vs Louisville7:15 PM
Jan 25, 2026Illinois vs Purdue8:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Iowa St vs Oklahoma St9:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Auburn vs Florida9:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Utah vs BYU10:30 PM
Jan 25, 2026San Francisco vs Gonzaga1:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Kansas vs Kansas St1:00 PM
Jan 25, 2026Tennessee vs Alabama1:30 PM
Jan 25, 2026LSU vs Arkansas1:30 PM
Jan 26, 2026Louisville vs Duke10:00 PM
Jan 27, 2026Arizona vs BYU12:00 PM
Jan 28, 2026Michigan St vs Rutgers9:30 PM
Jan 28, 2026Tennessee vs Georgia10:00 PM
Jan 28, 2026Nebraska vs Michigan10:00 PM
Jan 28, 2026Arkansas vs Oklahoma10:00 PM
Jan 28, 2026Virginia vs Notre Dame10:00 PM
Jan 28, 2026Providence vs UConn10:30 PM
Jan 28, 2026GW vs Saint Louis11:00 PM
Jan 29, 2026UMass vs Miami (OH)12:00 AM
Jan 29, 2026Purdue vs Indiana12:00 AM
Jan 29, 2026Kentucky vs Vanderbilt12:00 AM
Jan 29, 2026Missouri vs Alabama12:00 AM
Jan 29, 2026Florida vs South Carolina12:00 PM
Jan 29, 2026Houston vs TCU12:00 PM
Jan 30, 2026Colorado vs Iowa St10:00 AM
Jan 30, 2026Washington vs Illinois12:00 PM
Jan 30, 2026Dayton vs Saint Louis11:00 PM
Jan 30, 2026Michigan vs Michigan St11:00 PM
Feb 1, 2026Texas Tech vs UCF3:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Duke vs Virginia Tech3:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Cincinnati vs Houston3:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Pittsburgh vs Clemson3:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Texas A&M vs Georgia4:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Virginia vs Boston College4:30 AM
Feb 1, 2026SMU vs Louisville5:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026UNC vs Georgia Tech5:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Arizona vs Arizona St5:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Northern IL vs Miami (OH)6:30 AM
Feb 1, 2026BYU vs Kansas7:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Kentucky vs Arkansas9:30 AM
Feb 1, 2026UConn vs Creighton11:00 AM
Feb 1, 2026Vanderbilt vs Ole Miss11:30 AM
Feb 1, 2026Saint Mary's vs Gonzaga1:30 PM
Feb 2, 2026Purdue vs Maryland4:00 AM
Feb 2, 2026Alabama vs Florida4:00 AM
Feb 2, 2026Iowa St vs Kansas St7:00 PM
Feb 2, 2026Illinois vs Nebraska9:00 PM
Feb 3, 2026Syracuse vs UNC12:00 PM
Feb 3, 2026Kansas vs Texas Tech2:00 PM
Feb 4, 2026Miami (OH) vs Buffalo9:30 AM
Feb 4, 2026Xavier vs UConn10:00 AM
Feb 4, 2026Boston College vs Duke10:00 AM
Feb 4, 2026Saint Louis vs Davidson12:00 PM
Feb 4, 2026Pittsburgh vs Virginia12:00 PM
Feb 5, 2026UCF vs Houston10:00 AM
Feb 5, 2026Notre Dame vs Louisville10:00 AM
Feb 5, 2026Michigan St vs Minnesota10:00 AM
Feb 5, 2026Texas A&M vs Alabama10:00 AM
Feb 5, 2026Northwestern vs Illinois12:00 PM
Feb 5, 2026BYU vs Oklahoma St12:00 PM
Feb 5, 2026Clemson vs Stanford1:00 PM
Feb 5, 2026Gonzaga vs Portland1:00 PM
Feb 6, 2026Penn St vs Michigan9:30 AM
Feb 7, 2026UConn vs St. John's11:00 AM
Feb 7, 2026Syracuse vs Virginia5:00 AM
Feb 7, 2026Arkansas vs MS State5:00 AM
Feb 7, 2026Louisville vs Wake Forest5:00 AM
Feb 7, 2026Nebraska vs Rutgers5:00 AM
Feb 7, 2026Oregon vs Purdue6:00 AM

Structure of NCAA College Basketball Season 2025‑26

Non‑Conference Schedule (November – December)

  • Teams face opponents from other conferences, influencing national rankings and providing crucial games for schools aiming for at-large tournament bids.

Conference Schedule (January – February)

  • Teams play within their conference, with results determining conference standings and seeding for the conference tournament.

Conference Tournaments (Late February – March)

  • Each conference hosts a single-elimination tournament at the end of the regular season, with the champion earning an automatic bid to March Madness.

NCAA Tournament – “March Madness” (March – April 2026)

  • The 68-team field competes in a single-elimination format, culminating in the Final Four and the National Championship Game on April 6, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Other Sports Leagues to Watch in Ireland

If you’re a sports fan, here’s a list of top international sports leagues you can catch in Ireland.


FAQs

1. When does the 2025-26 NCAA Men’s Basketball season start?

The 2025-26 NCAA Men’s Basketball season began on November 3, 2025, featuring top teams from universities across the U.S.

2. How many teams compete in the NCAA Basketball Tournament?

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament includes 68 teams competing in a single-elimination format, culminating in the Final Four and the National Championship Game.

3. Can I access ESPN+ in Ireland?

ESPN+ is not available directly in Ireland. However, you can use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and securely access ESPN+ for NCAA basketball games.

4. When is March Madness 2026?

March Madness 2026 will begin in March 2026, with 68 teams battling for the national championship. The Final Four and National Championship Game will be held on April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.


Conclusion

The 2025-26 NCAA Men’s Basketball season began on November 3, 2025, with the Final Four set for April 6, 2026.

To watch College Basketball in Ireland, subscribe to paid streaming services like FuboTV and ESPN+ for full coverage, or opt for free sports streaming services.

Since ESPN+ is unavailable outside the US and the free method is unofficial, you’ll need a reliable VPN. Surfshark is the best VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and access the service securely.

Paul Adair

Passionate writer and avid streamer, I try and test streaming services and cord cutting options. By combining my love for writing with the thrill of discovering new media platforms, I like to guide and enlighten Irish audiences on the best ways to enjoy content without the cords.

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