2026 March Madness live stream: NCAA Tournament TV schedule Sweet 16 games, watch streaming Thursday

After an exciting week of action in the NCAA Tournament, the field has been reduced from 68 teams to 16. Only one team will be able to cut down the nets next month in Indianapolis, with Thursday serving as another step in determining who will play in the 2026 Final Four.

The fun begins in San Jose when No. 11 seed Texas takes on No. 2 seed Purdue (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS and March Madness Live). The Longhorns are the only double-digit seed remaining in the Big Dance and advanced from the First Four to the Sweet 16 after beating NC State, BYU and Gonzaga. After this game ends, No. 4 seed Arkansas, led by star freshman Darius Acuff Jr., will face No. 1 seed Arizona (9:39 p.m. CBS and March Madness Live).

The winners of these matches will meet in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

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No. 9 Iowa is coming off a win over defending national champion Florida last weekend, and the next game on the schedule is a matchup against Big Ten foe Nebraska (7:10 p.m., TBS and March Madness Live). The No. 4 seed entered the NCAA Tournament as the only top team without a win in the Big Dance. Since then, Nebraska has won two NCAA Tournament games in less than a week.

After this game ends, No. 3 seed Illinois takes on No. 2 seed Houston (10:09 p.m. TBS and March Madness Live) in arguably the best Sweet 16 game on the entire schedule. The winner of this game will face either Iowa or Nebraska in Houston, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Let’s get into some of the big storylines to know for Thursday’s Sweet 16 action.

Elite freshmen duos meet in Arizona vs. Arkansas

Arkansas vs. Arizona will mark the first time in Sweet 16 history where the top two scorers in points per game on each team are both freshmen. For Arkansas, it would be Acuff and fellow guard Meleek Thomas. And for Arizona, its dynamic duo of guard Brayden Burries and Koa Peat has been one of the best in the sport, regardless of class.

Acuff is coming off an unforgettable week in the NCAA tournament. Acuff scored 60 points in Arkansas’ wins over Hawaii and High Point. It’s the best result for a freshman through the first two games in NCAA Tournament history, surpassing the record (57 points) previously held by Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson and Cam Thomas. Burries and Peat combined to score 30 points in Arizona’s victory over Utah State in the second round. College basketball fans haven’t seen a game with this kind of freshman power on both sides in some time.

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Big Ten foes meet in the Big Dance

Raise your hand if you predicted Nebraska would face Iowa in the Sweet 16 at the start of the season? If so, buy yourself a lottery ticket because this is the most unlikely Sweet 16 matchup on the entire slate. Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game before defeating Troy in the first round last week, while Iowa hadn’t advanced to the second weekend since 1999.

Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt in a thrilling game to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Iowa, in the first year of the Ben McCollum era, beat defending national champion Florida after Alvaro Folgueiras made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining to advance. This game marks the third meeting between the Big Ten foes, with each team winning once during the regular season.

The best game is saved for last

The final game of the evening will be one of the best of the entire tournament when No. 2 seed Houston takes on No. 3 seed Illinois. While Houston and Illinois’ depth stands out from many teams still in the NCAA Tournament, both have elite freshmen on the roster. That would be Keaton Wagler for Illinois and Kingston Flemings for Houston. Both Wagler and Flemings are projected top-10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Houston lost last year’s national title game to Florida on the game’s final possession when it failed to make a shot, down by two points. The Cougars seek redemption with a return to the Final Four. Because Rice University is the official host of this region, Houston has the chance to play for a spot in the Final Four in its hometown. Illinois hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2005.

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Thursday’s NCAA Tournament broadcast schedule

Games played at Toyota Center (Houston) and SAP Center (San Jose)