2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament: Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four Schedule
The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is progressing, with the Sweet Sixteen round set to begin on March 26th. The tournament, involving 68 teams, will culminate with the championship game on April 6th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Sweet Sixteen Schedule (March 26 & 27)
The Sweet Sixteen games will be played across four regional sites: Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose), United Center (Chicago), and Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.).
Thursday, March 26
- Toyota Center (Houston)
- 7:10 PM ET: (11) Texas vs. (2) Purdue (CBS)
- 10:05 PM ET: (3) Illinois vs. (2) Houston (TBS)
- SAP Center (San Jose)
- 7:30 PM ET: (9) Iowa vs. (4) Nebraska (TBS)
- 9:45 PM ET: (4) Arkansas vs. (1) Arizona (CBS)
Friday, March 27
- United Center (Chicago)
- 7:35 PM ET: (4) Alabama vs. (1) Michigan (TBS)
- 10:10 PM ET: (6) Tennessee vs. (2) Iowa State (TBS)
- Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
- 7:10 PM ET: (5) St. John’s vs. (1) Duke (CBS)
- 9:45 PM ET: (3) Michigan State vs. (3) UConn (CBS)
Elite Eight Schedule (March 28 & 29)
The Elite Eight games will be played at the same regional sites as the Sweet Sixteen.
- Saturday, March 28 – 6:09 PM ET start (TBS) – Toyota Center (Houston) & SAP Center (San Jose)
- Sunday, March 29 – 2:15 PM ET start (CBS) – United Center (Chicago) & Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Final Four Schedule (April 4)
The Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Saturday, April 4 – 6:09 PM ET start (TBS)
National Championship Schedule (April 6)
The National Championship game will also be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Monday, April 6 – 8:50 PM ET (TBS)
Broadcast Teams
The tournament features a strong broadcast team across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Key commentators include:
- Lead Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle (Final Four alongside Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, and Tracy Wolfson)
- Other Play-by-Play: Brian Anderson, Kevin Harlan, Andrew Catalon, Brad Nessler, Spero Deads, Tom McCarthy, Brandon Gaudin
- Analysts: Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Jim Jackson, Stan Van Gundy, Steve Lappas, Wally Szczerbiak, Dan Bonner, Chris Webber, Jamal Mashburn, Jalen Rose, Seth Davis
- Reporters: Tracy Wolfson, Allie LaForce, Lauren Shehadi, Evan Washburn, AJ Ross, Andy Katz
- Rules Analyst: Gene Steratore
Fans can follow all the action on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, as well as through the March Madness Live app and streaming services like Paramount+ and HBO Max.
The tournament has already seen upsets, including Wisconsin losing to High Point in the first round. Nebraska, High Point, Howard, and Prairie View A&M each secured their first-ever tournament wins.