Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) dunks the ball in the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first-round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Mar. 20, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
The wait is over. College basketball’s opening day starts before noon and doesn’t let up until late Monday night, with a full mid-major marathon in the morning and a ranked SEC-ACC showdown in primetime. Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS350 to bet $20 and get $350 in FanCash on any opening day game.
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How to Sign Up and Claim the Fanatics Sportsbook Welcome Bonus
- Visit Fanatics Sportsbook by clicking the applicable “Claim Bonus” button on this page.
- Create a new account and complete registration and KYC verification.
- Once your account is verified, deposit at least $20.
- Use promo code FOXNEWS350.
- Place a $20 wager on any college basketball game today.
- Receive $350 in FanCash after your wager is graded.
- For more information, review the Fanatics Sportsbook promo page.
Morning Tip: The Mid-Major Marathon
The Field of 68 is reviving the all-day opening marathon, the same idea ESPN ran for nine years before shelving it in 2017. Sixteen mid-major programs play eight games back to back. Murray State and Tennessee State tip it off at 11:30 a.m. ET in Sioux Falls, and Furman and Bethune-Cookman close it out at 8 p.m. ET in Rock Hill. These are the games where sharp bettors hunt for value, since the books have less information on mid-majors than anyone in November.
Primetime: Florida vs Miami
Most top programs open with a buy game. Florida and Miami decided to skip that step. The two meet at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the marquee game of the day, with Florida opening as one of the top teams in the country and Miami ranked as well. A game this early comes with real uncertainty, from new rotations to transfers playing their first meaningful minutes together, and that’s exactly what makes it fun to bet.
Around the Country
- Army at Duke
- NJIT at Dayton
- East Texas A&M at Oklahoma
Duke and Oklahoma will be big favorites at home, while Dayton gets a first-ever meeting with an NJIT team that went 16-17 last season. On the women’s side, Maryland vs. South Carolina and Arizona vs. Stanford headline a stacked opening day.
From the first tip in the morning to the last whistle at night, there’s no shortage of options. New users can bet $20 on any opening day college basketball game and get $350 in FanCash with Fanatics Sportsbook promo code FOXNEWS350.
