The second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament gets underway on Saturday afternoon, and there are some fun matchups on the board. Which teams will stamp their ticket to the Sweet 16 next week?
No. 1 seed Michigan kicks off the second-round action with a game against No. 9 seed St. Louis (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live). The Wolverines weathered a potential upset from Howard in the first round, but they’ll get another tricky test on Saturday. The Billikens just put on an offensive clinic in their first-round win over No. 8 seed Georgia, a 102-77 blowout.
Speaking of No. 1 seeds that got a scare in the first round, Duke narrowly avoided disaster against No. 16 seed Siena with a 71-65 win. Star Cameron Boozer helped his team rally with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The Blue Devils will now play No. 9 seed TCU (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live), and the Horned Frogs have to have some confidence after pulling out a dramatic win against No. 8 seed Ohio State on Thursday.
After notching its first March Madness win in program history, No. 4 seed Nebraska will try to make more history with its first Sweet 16 berth. In order to do that, the Cornhuskers will have to beat No. 5 seed Vanderbilt (8:45 p.m., TNT March Madness Live), which hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2007.
2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, scores
All times Eastern
East
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — San Diego
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
- (1) Duke vs. (9) TCU | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Buffalo
- (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Louisville | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — San Diego
- (5) St. John’s vs. (4) Kansas | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — Philadelphia
- (7) UCLA vs. (2) UConn | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
West
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Portland
Friday — San Diego
Friday — St. Louis
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Portland
- (3) Gonzaga (11) Texas | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
- (4) Arkansas vs. (12) High Point | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
Sunday — San Diego
- (1) Arizona vs. (9) Utah State | 7:50 p.m. | TruTV
Sunday — St. Louis
- (2) Purdue vs. (7) Miami (FL) | 12:15 p.m. | CBS
Midwest
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — St. Louis
Friday — Tampa
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Buffalo
Sunday — St. Louis
- (2) Iowa State vs. (7) Kentucky | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — Tampa
- (4) Alabama vs. (5) Texas Tech | 9:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Philadelphia
- (3) Virginia vs. (6) Tennessee | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
South
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Friday — Tampa
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
- (3) Illinois vs. (11) VCU | 7:50 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Oklahoma City
- (2) Houston vs. (10) Texas A&M | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
- (4) Nebraska vs. (5) Vanderbilt | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Tampa
- (1) Florida vs. (8) Iowa | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule
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)
