The 2026 NCAA Tournament has lived up to the hype, with plenty of upsets, incredible comebacks, and amazing performances.
Fortunately, the wait between rounds is over, as the Sweet 16 tips off on Thursday evening.
Sweet 16 Games Get Underway on Thursday As March Madness Continues
After several days without any NCAA Tournament games, the action resumes tonight at 7:10 p.m. ET. There are four games on tonight, airing on CBS and TBS/truTV.
THURSDAY
- No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2 Purdue | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 4 Nebraska | 7:30 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston | 10:05 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
FRIDAY
- No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 1 Duke | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan | 7:35 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 UConn | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State | 10:10 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
As for the women’s NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 tips off on Friday.
The NCAA Tournament averaged 9.8 million viewers through its first three days, the best start since CBS and TNT began showing all of the games together in 2011, according to Nielsen data. The primetime Thursday window hit 12.5 million, making it the most-watched first-round window in tournament history. College basketball’s showcase event is not just trending up; it is peaking at the right time.
The Big Ten has six teams in the Sweet 16, more than any other conference: No. 1 Michigan in the Midwest, No. 2 Purdue in the West, No. 3 Michigan State in the East and No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 Nebraska and No. 9 Iowa in the South. The Big Ten went 6-1 in the second round, with its only loss coming in UCLA’s 73-57 defeat to Connecticut.
MARCH MADNESS: Fill In Your Bracket Now!
The tournament also featured some historic wins. Nebraska not only won its first NCAA Tournament game in program history, but it also advanced to the Sweet 16 on a buzzer-beater layup by Lincoln native Braden Frager. Iowa and Iowa State are both alive in the Sweet 16 simultaneously for the first time ever.
The big-brand programs that survived, such as No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Connecticut, and No. 2 Houston, are all legitimate title threats.
The Elite Eight will be held on March 28 to March 29 to determine the Final Four teams that will play at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4. Then, the national championship game will be played on April 6 at the same venue.
This year’s March Madness featured plenty of stars, and big-time talents like Duke big man Cameron Boozer and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. are two of the studs still alive in the tournament. All eyes will be on the NCAA Tournament in the coming weeks, especially now that a new national champion will be crowned after the Florida Gators were upset by the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament has featured plenty of fireworks, and hopefully, the best is yet to come.
