2026 NCAA Tournament second round schedule: March Madness bracket, game dates, tip times, TV channels
Check out the master schedule for the first and second rounds of the 2026 NCAA Tournament so you can watch all the March Madness
The NCAA Tournament field has already been trimmed in half, and second-round action begins Saturday with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line across an eight-game slate. No. 1 overall seed Duke returns to action after narrowly avoiding what would have been a stunning first-round upset, and now faces No. 9 seed TCU (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live).
Another No. 1 seed is also in action earlier in the day, as Michigan looks to reach the Sweet 16 in consecutive years under coach Dusty May when it takes on No. 9 seed Saint Louis (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live). The Wolverines enter the matchup as the clear favorite, but face a dangerous mid-major opponent looking to extend its own tournament run.
Upset intrigue is scattered throughout Saturday's slate, including No. 12 seed High Point looking to keep its Cinderella run alive against No. 4 seed Arkansas (9:45 p.m. ET, TBS March Madness Live). Another potential shocker comes in the late window, where No. 11 seed VCU matches against No. 3 seed Illinois and its high-scoring attack (7:50 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live).
Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Nebraska, fresh off securing its first NCAA Tournament win in program history, looks to continue its historic season against No. 5 seed Vanderbilt (8:45 p.m., TNT March Madness Live). The Commodores are trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.
Here is the full schedule and beyond to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament, and be sure to follow the live bracket throughout March Madness.
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule, dates
Second round
Saturday, March 21
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
| Time (ET) | Game | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|
| 12:10 p.m. | (1) Michigan 95, (9) Saint Louis 72 | Highlights |
| 2:45 p.m. | (3) Michigan State 77, (6) Louisville 69 | Highlights |
| 5:15 p.m. | (1) Duke 81, (9) TCU 58 | Highlights |
| 6:10 p.m. | (10) Texas A&M vs. (2) Houston | TNT (watch live) |
| 7:10 p.m. | (11) Texas vs. (3) Gonzaga | TBS (watch live) |
| 7:50 p.m. | (11) VCU vs. (3) Illinois | CBS (watch live) |
| 8:45 p.m. | (5) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Nebraska | TNT (watch live) |
| 9:45 p.m. | (12) High Point vs. (4) Arkansas | TBS (watch live) |
Sunday, March 22 -- 12:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV)
Benchmark International Arena (Tampa), Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia), Viejas Arena (San Diego), Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
| Time (ET) | Game | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|
| 12:10 p.m. | (7) Miami (FL) vs. (2) Purdue | CBS (watch live) |
| 2:45 p.m. | (7) Kentucky vs. (2) Iowa State | CBS (watch live) |
| 5:15 p.m. | (5) St. John's vs. (4) Kansas | CBS (watch live) |
| 6:10 p.m. | (6) Tennessee vs. (3) Virginia | TNT (watch live) |
| 7:10 p.m. | (9) Iowa vs. (1) Florida | TBS (watch live) |
| 7:50 p.m. | (9) Utah State vs. (1) Arizona | truTV (watch live) |
| 8:45 p.m. | (7) UCLA vs. (2) UConn | TNT (watch live) |
| 9:45 p.m. | (5) Texas Tech vs. (4) Alabama | TBS (watch live) |
First round
Thursday, March 19
KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City), Moda Center (Portland)
| Time (ET) | Game | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|
| 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) High Point 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 78, (6) North Carolina 82 (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) Penn 70 | Highlights |
| 9:45 p.m. | (9) Saint Louis 102, (8) Georgia 77 | Highlights |
| 10 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 | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | (7) UCLA 75, (10) UCF 71 | 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 Baptist 60 | Highlights |
| 10 p.m. | (2) UConn 82, (15) Furman 71 | Highlights |
| 10:10 p.m. | (7) Miami (FL) 80, (10) Missouri 66 | Highlights |
