2026 March Madness Sweet 16 Set to Begin Thursday, March 26 Across Four Regional Sites

• Women's NCAA tournament second round play continues Monday, March 23, with eight games scheduled across ESPN and ESPN2, featuring matchups including Alabama at Louisville (noon ET) and Virginia at Iowa (2 p.m. ET). • Additional second round games include Notre Dame at Ohio State, Kentucky at West Virginia, Syracuse at UConn, Illinois at Vanderbilt, Southern Cal at South Carolina, and Oklahoma State at UCLA. • The women's tournament second round concludes Monday's schedule, with the most successful teams advancing to regional play in subsequent rounds.

• No. 9 seed Iowa defeated defending national champion Florida 73-72 in Sunday's second round, ending the Gators' title repeat hopes with a stunning upset victory. • Iowa shot over 70% from 2-point range, a feat no team had accomplished against coach Todd Golden in his 144-game tenure at Florida, showcasing elite offensive execution. • Florida's interior defense, typically one of the nation's best, was overwhelmed, though Alex Condon contributed 21 points; Iowa's balanced attack proved too much in a tight final possession.

• The second round of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament wrapped on March 22 across sites including Oklahoma City, Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, Portland, and St. Louis. • Notable action included a potential buzzer-beater rimming out in Nebraska-Vanderbilt's frantic finish, heightening bracket drama. • Sweet 16 games begin Thursday, March 26, leading to regionals in Houston, San Jose, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., with Final Four on April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

• Houston Cougars, the No. 2 seed in the South Region, defeated Texas A&M 88-57 on March 22 in Oklahoma City to reach the Sweet 16 for the seventh straight year. • Emanuel Sharp scored 18 points, Chris Cenac Jr. added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Milos Uzan contributed 15 points in the decisive victory. • The win highlights Houston's continued dominance in March Madness, setting up a matchup in the Houston regional on March 26.

• Los Angeles Lakers defeated Denver Nuggets in overtime, sparked by Austin Reaves' intentional missed free-throw put-back to force the extra period. • Reaves celebrated by cradling the basketball and whispering 'I love you' after the key play in the comeback win. • Young fan Jackson Tuyay's passionate cheering ignited the crowd and inspired the Lakers' defense against a top team.

• Second round games occur on March 21 at sites including Oklahoma City, Portland, and St. Louis, following first round action. • Kentucky secured an overtime win with Otega Oweh scoring 35 points and hitting an epic buzzer-beater, advancing in the tournament. • The schedule progresses to Sweet 16 on March 26-27, with regionals in Houston, San Jose, and Chicago hosting later stages.

• No. 1 South Carolina faces No. 16 Southern at 1 p.m. ET on ABC, while No. 1 UConn plays No. 16 UTSA at 3 p.m. ET in the Women's NCAA Tournament first round. • No. 2 Iowa takes on No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2. • These games mark the start of bracket action across multiple sites, with CBS Sports providing live updates and highlights throughout Saturday.

• The No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines (32-3) play the No. 9 seed St. Louis Billikens (29-5) in a second-round Midwest Regional matchup at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, with tip-off at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. • Michigan defeated Howard 101-81 in the first round, while St. Louis dominated Georgia 102-77 Thursday night, with DraftKings projecting Michigan as a 12.5-point favorite. • Key performers include Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr., who posted 21 points and 10 rebounds in the first round, and St. Louis's Dion Brown, who led the Billikens with 18 points against Georgia.

• No. 11 seed Texas upset sixth-seeded BYU 79-71 in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, advancing in the NCAA Tournament first round. • Matas Vokietaitis led Texas with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while BYU's AJ Dybantsa scored 35 points in the loss. • The victory sets up potential second-round matchups as the tournament progresses to Saturday games.

• D.C. United faces Atlanta United FC on Saturday, March 21, in their third road match of the 2026 MLS season in Atlanta, Georgia. • D.C. recently won 2-1 at Chicago Fire, with Tai Baribo scoring 3 goals this season and Matti Peltola netting his first MLS goal. • Atlanta sits 1-3-0 with 3 points, led by Alexey Miranchuk's 3 goals and Miguel Almiron's 3 assists.

• The 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament entered its first round on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, with games hosted across multiple venues including Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, and Portland. • First-round matchups are scheduled for March 19 and 21 in Oklahoma City and Portland, while March 20 and 22 games take place in Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis, with teams competing for advancement to the second round. • The tournament follows Selection Sunday on March 15, with the First Four play-in games held on March 17-18, setting the stage for the 68-team competition.