• by Fern Siegel , March 23, 2026

Capital One is back for its 16th year as the official sponsor of the NCAA March Madness.

The five-spot campaign, “Capital One Road Trip,” is created by GSD&M, its agency of record.

The creative stars Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson and Jennifer Garner in addition to a new face: WNBA star Caitlin Clark. They not only enjoy the basketball game, but the fun of sharing the journey.

“This year, we wanted to keep building on the momentum we’ve created with Capital One for March Madness,” said Ryan Carroll, executive creative director at GSD&M, told Agency Daily. “'The Road Trip' lets us show up in a way that feels true to the tournament by celebrating the moments fans care about, while keeping the Capital One brand front and center throughout the month.”

The campaign includes social, digital display, in-stadium and OOH signage, including buses. The Chuck Blimp will fly over Phoenix and Indianapolis for the Final Four and Championship games.

The 30-second ads are Sorry Sam Jackson, Naismith Goes to the Final Four, Chuck’s Got Games, Bankover and Raining 3%, which features Clark's talent for three pointers in a novel way.

March Madness begin with the First Four, at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Eight teams play for a spot in the opening round on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18. The round of 64 begins Thursday, March 19, and the round of 32 begins Saturday, March 21. The tournament ends April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, when the champion wins.