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The 2026 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 begins tonight with eight games spread across Thursday and Friday — and this bracket is *loaded*. A No. 9 seed knocked off the overall No. 1, an 11-seed fought its way from the First Four, and a rivalry game could deliver the most emotionally charged moment of the tournament.Here's everything you need to know: full schedule, matchup breakdowns, and the games most likely to produce upsets.
## Thursday, March 26 — Sweet 16 Schedule
::stats
- 📺 **Networks:** CBS, TBS, truTV
- 🏟️ **Venues:** Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
- 🎯 **Tip-off range:** 7:10 PM – 10:05 PM ET
- 📈 **Viewership so far:** 10.1M average (up 7% from 2025)
::/stats
| Time (ET) | Region | Matchup | Network | Venue |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|-------|
| 7:10 PM | West | No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas | CBS | SAP Center, San Jose |
| 7:30 PM | South | No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa | TBS | Toyota Center, Houston |
| 9:45 PM | West | No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas | CBS | SAP Center, San Jose |
| 10:05 PM | South | No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois | TBS | Toyota Center, Houston |
## Friday, March 27 — Sweet 16 Schedule
| Time (ET) | Region | Matchup | Network | Venue |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|-------|
| 7:10 PM | East | No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John's | CBS | Capital One Arena, D.C. |
| 7:30 PM | Midwest | No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama | TBS | United Center, Chicago |
| 9:45 PM | East | No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State | CBS | Capital One Arena, D.C. |
| 10:05 PM | Midwest | No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee | TBS | United Center, Chicago |
## The Cinderella Stories Still Dancing
::keyfacts
- **No. 9 Iowa** pulled off the tournament's biggest upset, hitting a last-second three to stun No. 1 overall seed Florida in the Second Round
- **No. 11 Texas** entered through the First Four and upset No. 3 Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16
- **No. 12 High Point** shocked No. 5 Wisconsin in the First Round before falling in Round 2
- **VCU** upset No. 6 North Carolina in the opening round
- A record **13 of 32** first-round games were decided by 20+ points — the most lopsided opening round ever
::/keyfacts
Iowa's run has been the story of the tournament. The Hawkeyes entered as a 9-seed that nobody expected to survive the first weekend, let alone take down the tournament's top overall seed. Their buzzer-beating three against Florida (73-72) drew a peak audience of 19.7 million viewers — the most-watched second-round game in years.
For full coverage, visit https://www.linos.ai/sports/march-madness-sweet-16-2026-schedule-matchups-upset-picks/
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