2026 NCAA Tournament first, second round schedule: March Madness dates and tip times
Friday’s four matches in the 2026 NCAA Tournament closes Sweet 16 action and features two No. 1 seeds in action – Duke and Michigan – as well as second-seeded UConn and Iowa State as the favorites look to advance to Sunday’s Elite Eight round.
Duke faces fifth-seeded St. John’s (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS) in the Capital One Region in an East Region semifinal, while third-seeded Michigan State takes on the Huskies (9:45 p.m., CBS) in the second half of the doubleheader in Washington, DC.
At the United Center in Chicago, No. 4 Alabama tries to calm down top-seeded Michigan (7:35 p.m., TBS/TruTV) in Game 1 of the Midwest Region semifinals before the Cyclones take on No. 6 Tennessee (10:10 p.m., TBS/TruTV). Friday’s winners will play Sunday with Final Four berths on the line.
Here’s a complete look at the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Be sure to follow live support throughout March Madness.
2026 NCAA Tournament Schedule, Dates
Sweet 16
Thursday March 26
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Friday March 27
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)
Elite Eight
Saturday March 28 – starts at 6:09 p.m. (TBS)
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Sunday, March 29 – starts at 2:15 p.m. (CBS)
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)
Final four
Saturday April 4 — start at 6:09 p.m. (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
National Championship
Monday April 6 — 8:50 p.m. (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
First round
Thursday March 19
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
| Time (ET) | Game | Television/Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 12:15 p.m. | (9) TCU 66, (8) Ohio State 64 | Highlights |
| 12:40 p.m. | (4) Nebraska 76, (13) Troy 47 | Highlights |
| 1:30 p.m. | (6) Louisville 83, (11) South Florida 79 | Highlights |
| 1:50 p.m. | (12) Highlight 83, (5) Wisconsin 82 | Highlights |
| 2:50 p.m. | (1) Duke 71, (16) Siena 65 | Highlights |
| 3:15 p.m. | (5) Vanderbilt 78, (12) McNeese 68 | Highlights |
| 4:05 p.m. | (3) Michigan State 92, (14) North Dakota State 67 | Highlights |
| 4:25 p.m. | (4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78 | Highlights |
| 6:50 p.m. | (11) VCU 82, (6) North Carolina 78 (OT) | Highlights |
| 7:10 p.m. | (1) Michigan 101, (16) Howard 80 | Highlights |
| 7:25 p.m. | (11) Texas 79, (6) BYU 71 | Highlights |
| 7:35 p.m. | (10) Texas A&M 63, (7) Saint Mary’s 50 | Highlights |
| 9:25 p.m. | (3) Illinois 105, (14) Pennsylvania 70 | Highlights |
| 9:45 p.m. | (9) Saint Louis 102, (8) Georgia 77 | Highlights |
| 10:00 p.m. | (1(3) Gonzaga 73, (14) Kennesaw State 64 | Highlights |
| 10:10 p.m. | (2) Houston 78, (15) Idaho 47 | Highlights |
Friday March 20
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
| Time (ET) | Game | Television/Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 12:15 p.m. | (7) Kentucky 89, (10) Santa Clara 84 | Highlights |
| 12:40 p.m. | (5) Texas Tech 91, (12) Akron 71 | Highlights |
| 1:35 p.m. | (1) Arizona 92, (16) LIU 58 | Highlights |
| 1:50 p.m. | (3) Virginia 82, (14) Wright State 73 | Highlights |
| 2:50 p.m. | (2) Iowa State 108, (15) Tennessee State 74 | Highlights |
| 3:15 p.m. | (4) Alabama 90, (13) Hofstra 70 | Highlights |
| 4:10 p.m. | (9) Utah State 86, (8) Villanova 76 | Highlights |
| 4:25 p.m. | (6) Tennessee 78, (11) Miami (Ohio) 56 | Highlights |
| 6:50 p.m. | (9) Iowa 67, (8) Clemson 61 | Highlights |
| 7:10 p.m. | (5) St. John’s 79, (12) Northern Iowa 53 | Highlights |
| 7:25 p.m. | (10) UCF vs. (7) UCLA | Highlights |
| 7:35 p.m. | (2) Purdue 104, (15) Queens 71 | Highlights |
| 9:25 p.m. | (1) Florida 114, (16) Prairie View A&M 55 | Highlights |
| 9:45 p.m. | (4) Kansas 68, (13) Cal Baptiste 60 | Highlights |
| 10:00 p.m. | (2) UConn 82, (15) Furman 71 | Highlights |
| 10:10 p.m. | (7) Miami (FL) 80, (10) Missouri 66 | Highlights |
