The first weekend of the 2026 NCAA Tournament delivered the chaos fans crave. With the reigning national champion Florida Gators falling on a buzzer-beater to Iowa and Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad punching their ticket in dramatic fashion, the field has been trimmed to the “Final 16.”

Below is the definitive schedule for the Regional Semifinals, including announcer pairings, locations, and the early Sweet 16 Upset Watch from our AI Model.

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2026 Sweet 16 Schedule: Thursday, March 26

Here’s the 2026 Sweet 16 schedule for you. All times are in U.S. Eastern time. 

The road to Indianapolis continues in San Jose (West) and Houston (South).

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV Channel	Announcers
(11) Texas vs. (2) Purdue	7:10 PM	CBS	Anderson / Jackson / LaForce
(9) Iowa vs. (4) Nebraska	7:30 PM	TBS / truTV	Harlan / Hummel / Van Gundy
(4) Arkansas vs. (1) Arizona	9:45 PM	CBS	Anderson / Jackson / LaForce
(3) Illinois vs. (2) Houston	10:05 PM	TBS / truTV	Harlan / Hummel / Van Gundy

Sweet 16 Schedule: Friday, March 27

The East Regional (Washington D.C.) and Midwest Regional (Chicago) take center stage.

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV Channel	Announcers
(5) St. John’s vs. (1) Duke	7:10 PM	CBS	Eagle / Raftery / Hill / Wolfson
(4) Alabama vs. (1) Michigan	7:35 PM	TBS / truTV	Catalon / Lappas / Washburn
(2) UConn vs. (3) Michigan State	9:45 PM	CBS	Eagle / Raftery / Hill / Wolfson
(6) Tennessee vs. (2) Iowa State	10:10 PM	TBS / truTV	Catalon / Lappas / Washburn

AI Model “Green Tier” Upset Watch

Our predictive model finished the opening weekend 19–7 (81%). Here are the early leans for the Sweet 16.

• The “First Four” Magic: (11) Texas (+5.5) against Purdue. The Longhorns are the only team left that started in Dayton. Our model suggests their perimeter speed will neutralize Purdue’s interior size.
• The Big East Statement: (5) St. John’s (+4.5) vs. (1) Duke. Rick Pitino is 17-3 ATS in the tournament. Duke struggled with Siena in the opening round, and the Red Storm’s press is a nightmare matchup for the Blue Devils’ young backcourt.
• The Big Ten Grind: (3) Michigan State (+2.5) vs. (2) UConn. It’s March. It’s Izzo. The model favors the Spartans in a low-possession game.

Printable 2026 Sweet 16 Bracket

Here’s the printable 2026 Sweet 16 Bracket for you too.

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Sweet 16 FAQ Section 

Q: Where is the Sweet 16 in 2026? The 2026 Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16) are located in four cities:

• West Regional: San Jose, CA (SAP Center)
• South Regional: Houston, TX (Toyota Center)
• East Regional: Washington D.C. (Capital One Arena)
• Midwest Regional: Chicago, IL (United Center)

Q: When does the Sweet 16 start? The 2026 Sweet 16 begins on Thursday, March 26, with four Regional Semifinal games. The remaining four games take place on Friday, March 27.

Q: What channel is the Sweet 16 on? Every Sweet 16 game is televised on national TV. The 2026 broadcast rights are shared between CBS (Thursday/Friday doubleheaders) and Turner Sports (TBS and truTV). Check the schedule above for specific channel assignments for your game.

Q: How many No. 1 seeds are left? As of Monday, March 23, 2026, three No. 1 seeds remain: (1) Arizona, (1) Duke, and (1) Michigan. The reigning champions, (1) Florida, were defeated by (9) Iowa in the Round of 32.