diff --git a/app/components/sport-season/GroupStageStandings.tsx b/app/components/sport-season/GroupStageStandings.tsx
index 4931914..74733e8 100644
--- a/app/components/sport-season/GroupStageStandings.tsx
+++ b/app/components/sport-season/GroupStageStandings.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import type { GroupStandingsRow } from "~/models/group-stage-match";
 import { TeamOwnerBadge } from "~/components/ui/team-owner-badge";
 
@@ -38,6 +39,23 @@ function MatchResult({ match }: { match: GroupMatch }) {
   const p1 = match.participant1?.name ?? "?";
   const p2 = match.participant2?.name ?? "?";
 
+  // SSR renders UTC time (stable); useEffect replaces with the user's local time after hydration.
+  const [kickoffDisplay, setKickoffDisplay] = useState(() =>
+    match.scheduledAt
+      ? new Date(match.scheduledAt).toLocaleTimeString("en-US", {
+          hour: "numeric",
+          minute: "2-digit",
+          timeZone: "UTC",
+        })
+      : null
+  );
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!match.scheduledAt) return;
+    setKickoffDisplay(
+      new Date(match.scheduledAt).toLocaleTimeString("en-US", { hour: "numeric", minute: "2-digit" })
+    );
+  }, [match.scheduledAt]);
+
   if (match.isComplete && match.participant1Score !== null && match.participant2Score !== null) {
     const s1 = match.participant1Score;
     const s2 = match.participant2Score;
@@ -61,7 +79,6 @@ function MatchResult({ match }: { match: GroupMatch }) {
     );
   }
 
-  const kickoff = match.scheduledAt ? new Date(match.scheduledAt) : null;
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col gap-0">
       <div className="flex items-center gap-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
@@ -69,9 +86,9 @@ function MatchResult({ match }: { match: GroupMatch }) {
         <span className="shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/60">vs</span>
         <span className="truncate max-w-[80px]">{p2}</span>
       </div>
-      {kickoff && (
+      {kickoffDisplay && (
         <span className="text-[10px] text-muted-foreground/50">
-          {kickoff.toLocaleTimeString("en-US", { hour: "numeric", minute: "2-digit" })}
+          {kickoffDisplay}
         </span>
       )}
     </div>
@@ -93,7 +110,7 @@ export function GroupStageStandings({
     <div className="space-y-4">
       <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold">Group Stage</h3>
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
-        {groups.map((group) => (
+        {visibleGroups.map((group) => (
           <div
             key={group.groupName}
             className="rounded-lg border bg-card text-card-foreground shadow-sm overflow-hidden"
@@ -169,26 +186,36 @@ export function GroupStageStandings({
                 if (!b.scheduledAt) return -1;
                 return new Date(a.scheduledAt).getTime() - new Date(b.scheduledAt).getTime();
               });
+              // Use the UTC date portion as a stable key so server and client always
+              // produce the same Map structure regardless of the user's timezone.
               const byDay = new Map<string, GroupMatch[]>();
               for (const m of sorted) {
-                const key = m.scheduledAt
-                  ? new Date(m.scheduledAt).toLocaleDateString("en-US", { month: "short", day: "numeric" })
-                  : "TBD";
+                const key = m.scheduledAt ? m.scheduledAt.slice(0, 10) : "TBD";
                 if (!byDay.has(key)) byDay.set(key, []);
                 byDay.get(key)?.push(m);
               }
               return (
                 <div className="px-4 pb-3 space-y-0.5 border-t pt-2">
-                  {[...byDay.entries()].map(([day, matches]) => (
-                    <div key={day} className="space-y-0.5">
-                      <p className="text-[10px] text-muted-foreground/70 uppercase tracking-wide pt-1">
-                        {day}
-                      </p>
-                      {matches.map((m) => (
-                        <MatchResult key={m.id} match={m} />
-                      ))}
-                    </div>
-                  ))}
+                  {[...byDay.entries()].map(([key, matches]) => {
+                    // Format from the UTC date string so label is identical on server and client.
+                    const dayLabel = key === "TBD"
+                      ? "TBD"
+                      : new Date(key + "T12:00:00Z").toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
+                          month: "short",
+                          day: "numeric",
+                          timeZone: "UTC",
+                        });
+                    return (
+                      <div key={key} className="space-y-0.5">
+                        <p className="text-[10px] text-muted-foreground/70 uppercase tracking-wide pt-1">
+                          {dayLabel}
+                        </p>
+                        {matches.map((m) => (
+                          <MatchResult key={m.id} match={m} />
+                        ))}
+                      </div>
+                    );
+                  })}
                 </div>
               );
             })()}
diff --git a/app/routes/leagues/$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId.tsx b/app/routes/leagues/$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId.tsx
index 6093b88..2164b83 100644
--- a/app/routes/leagues/$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId.tsx
+++ b/app/routes/leagues/$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Link } from "react-router";
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import type { Route } from "./+types/$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId";
 
 import { loader } from "./$leagueId.sports-seasons.$sportsSeasonId.server";
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export default function SportSeasonDetail({
   } = loaderData;
 
   const hasBracket = playoffMatches && playoffMatches.length > 0;
+  const bracketHasTeams = hasBracket && playoffMatches.some((m) => m.participant1 !== null || m.participant2 !== null);
   const hasStandings = regularSeasonStandings && regularSeasonStandings.length > 0;
   const showOtLosses = hasStandings && regularSeasonStandings.some((s) => s.otLosses !== null);
 
@@ -75,13 +76,24 @@ export default function SportSeasonDetail({
 
   const [view, setView] = useState<BracketView>(() => {
     if (showGroupStageToggle) {
-      return sportsSeason.status === "completed" ? "finished" : "playoffs";
+      if (sportsSeason.status === "completed") return "finished";
+      return bracketHasTeams ? "playoffs" : "groups";
     }
     if (!hasBracket) return "standings";
     if (sportsSeason.status === "completed") return "finished";
     return "playoffs";
   });
 
+  // When the loader revalidates and bracket teams are seeded, promote the default tab
+  // from "groups" to "playoffs". Only fires if the view is still at the automatic default
+  // ("groups"), so a user who manually clicked Groups from Bracket view is unaffected.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!showGroupStageToggle || sportsSeason.status === "completed") return;
+    if (bracketHasTeams) {
+      setView((v) => (v === "groups" ? "playoffs" : v));
+    }
+  }, [bracketHasTeams, showGroupStageToggle, sportsSeason.status]);
+
   const TOGGLE_VIEWS: { value: BracketView; label: string }[] = showGroupStageToggle
     ? [
         { value: "groups", label: "Groups" },