when do the sweet 16 games start

The 2026 men’s NCAA tournament Sweet 16 games start on Thursday, March 26, 2026, with the first tip at about 7:10 p.m. Eastern Time , and continue with more games on Friday, March 27, 2026 , also in the early evening ET window.

Quick Scoop

Here’s the simple breakdown so you don’t miss tip-off:

• The Sweet 16 round is played over two nights: Thursday and Friday.

• For 2026, games begin Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27.

• The first games each night tip around 7:10 p.m. ET (often listed as 7:09 or 7:10 p.m.).

• Late games those nights are generally scheduled near 9:45–10:10 p.m. ET , depending on region and TV slot.

In other words, if you’re planning your evening, you can expect Sweet 16 basketball to run from roughly 7 p.m. ET to about 11:30 p.m. ET on both Thursday and Friday.

TL;DR:
The Sweet 16 games start Thursday, March 26, 2026, at about 7:10 p.m. ET , with more games at similar evening times on Friday, March 27.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.