Sweet 16 Schedule 2026: When & How to Watch Every March Madness Game Tonight – Sports Brackets


The Sweet 16 schedule 2026 begins on Thursday, March 26, with four high-stakes matchups across the West and South regions. The action kicks off at 7:10 PM ET as (2) Purdue faces off against (11) Texas on CBS. Thursday’s slate also features a primetime clash between (2) Houston and (3) Illinois. Below is the complete schedule for Thursday and Friday, including tip-off times, TV channels, and streaming links.

Sweet 16 Schedule 2026: Thursday, March 26

Sweet 16 Schedule 2026: When & How to Watch Every March Madness Game Tonight – Sports Brackets

Here’s the Sweet 16 schedule 2026 for you. First game is on at 7:10 ET on CBS. Enjoy. 

Regional Sites: San Jose, CA (West) & Houston, TX (South)

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

*Estimated tip time; game will begin approx. 20 minutes after the conclusion of the previous game at that site.

Sweet 16 Schedule: Friday, March 27

Regional Sites: Washington, D.C. (East) & Chicago, IL (Midwest)

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

How to Stream the Sweet 16 Online

If you aren’t near a TV tonight, you can stream every second of the action:

  • CBS Games: Stream live via Paramount+ or the CBS Sports App.
  • TBS/truTV Games: Stream via the Max (formerly HBO Max) app or the NCAA March Madness Live site.
  • Mobile: The NCAA March Madness Live app is the best way to track scores and watch multi-game “Fast Break” coverage.

Essential March Madness Resources

2026 March Madness Bingo – Fun, free printable bingo game to play with your friends and family this weekend.

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Will Lewis has covered sports for over 18 years, specializing in bracketology, tournament predictions, and in-depth analysis across college hoops, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more. March Madness is his favorite season, fueling his quest for perfect brackets before diving into pro playoffs. A lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fan, Bengals supporter since the Joe Montana era, and now a Padres devotee, Will delivers reliable, fan-first insights at Sports Brackets. Connect on X or comment. He loves talking brackets and more.