2026 NCAA Tournament schedule: March Madness bracket, dates, locations, tip times

The final eight spots in this year’s Sweet 16 will be decided on Sunday as the 2026 NCAA Tournament continues with eight compelling second-round matchups. Without major upsets on Day 2 of the first round, the result is a slate filled with marquee games.

One of the biggest themes is elite coaching matchups. At the top of the list is Bill Self and Kansas facing Rick Pitino and St. John’s (5:15 p.m .ET, CBS March Madness Live). Another features UCLA against UConn, pitting Dan Hurley against Mick Cronin (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT March Madness Live).

One of the tournament’s most thrilling games so far saw No. 7 seed Kentucky advance with a dramatic overtime win over No. 10 seed Santa Clara after Otega Oweh hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. The Wildcats now face No. 2 seed Iowa State (2:45 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness live).

The Cyclones could be without star forward Joshua Jefferson, who exited Friday’s win over Tennessee State early with an ankle injury. His status will be one of the key storylines to monitor.

Here is the full tournament schedule and scoreboard to keep you up to date.

The dates and sites for every 2026 NCAA Tournament game are listed below, culminating with the Final Four and NCAA championship game on April 4 and 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The road to the Final Four is a long but worthwhile journey, so be sure to check in often as CBS Sports will update this page each time the NCAA Tournament schedule is adjusted. Games will be aired across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, all available on March Madness Live. Games airing on CBS will also be available to Paramount+ subscribers, while those on TBS/TNT/truTV are available via HBO Max.

2026 NCAA Tournament schedule, dates

Second round

Sunday, March 22
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)

Saturday, March 21
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 26 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS)
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)

Friday, March 27 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS)
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)

Elite Eight

Saturday, March 28 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS)
Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)

Sunday, March 29 — 2:15 p.m. start (CBS)
United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)

Final Four

Saturday, April 4 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

National Championship

Monday, April 6 — 8:50 p.m. (TBS)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

First Four

Tuesday, March 17
UD Arena (Dayton)

Wednesday, March 18
UD Arena (Dayton)

First round

Thursday, March 19
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)

Friday, March 20
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)