The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2015–16 season.

The 78th edition of the Tournament began on March 15, 2016, and concluded with the championship game on April 4, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Villanova defeated North Carolina in the championship game 77–74, on a three-point buzzer beater by Kris Jenkins.

[15] The Wildcats' Championship run was the 3rd most dominant in NCAA Tournament history, with a total point differential of +124 (breaking the 2009 record set by the North Carolina Tar Heels of +121[16]), behind the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats (+129) and the 2024 UConn Huskies (+140).

[18][19] Yale made its first NCAA appearance since 1962 as winners of the Ivy League, which, for the final time, did not stage a conference tournament.

[3] More than one-third of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets predicted Michigan State to make the Final Four.

[23] This tied the record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances held by North Carolina (1975–2001).

Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated."

Beginning in 2016, rights to the Final Four and championship game began to alternate between Turner and CBS, with Turner networks broadcasting the 2016 Final Four and championship; a conventional telecast aired on TBS, accompanied by "Team Stream" broadcasts on TNT and TruTV which featured commentary and coverage focused on each participating team.

[27][28] However, Turner allowed the tournament's closing theme, One Shining Moment, to be played for the 30th year in a row.

To date, the song is still played in this manner, no matter which network airs the National Championship game.

For 2016, the selection show on CBS was expanded into a two-hour broadcast—a move which proved unpopular with viewers due to the decreased speed at which the participating teams were unveiled.

These issues were exacerbated by a leak of the full bracket shortly into the broadcast, which spread on Twitter.

[29][30] CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus admitted that the extended special was a failure, stating that "we haven't had any specific discussions but I think we all agree it would serve all of us well including the fan to release the brackets in a little more timely manner".

Westwood One's radio broadcasts, including a "National Mix" channel consisting of whip-around coverage during the first and second rounds, was available on its website and on the TuneIn app.