The Elite Eight round of March Madness typically starts on the weekend right after the Sweet 16, with games on Saturday and Sunday. For recent and upcoming tournaments, that has meant Elite Eight games falling on the last weekend of March (for example, March 30–31 in 2024 and March 29–30 in 2025).

When does the Elite 8 start?

For the NCAA men’s basketball tournament:

  • The Elite Eight is played right after the Sweet 16 , as the regional finals.
  • In recent years, games have started on Saturday evening and continued through Sunday , two games each day.
  • In 2024, Elite Eight games were on March 30–31.
  • In 2025, Elite Eight games were scheduled for Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 , with tipoffs in the early evening Eastern Time.

A typical example: in 2025, one Elite Eight game tipped at 6:09 p.m. ET and the second at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday, with two more on Sunday in the afternoon and early evening.

Looking ahead to 2026

For the 2026 NCAA Tournament , the Elite Eight is again set for a Saturday–Sunday slate at four regional sites (Houston, San Jose, Washington D.C., and Chicago), on the weekend at the end of March.

The precise tip times will follow the same pattern: staggered afternoon and evening starts in Eastern Time across those two days.

Quick facts (for SEO and skimming)

  • If you’re asking “when does Elite 8 start” for March Madness, think: last weekend of March, Saturday–Sunday , after the Sweet 16.
  • Games usually start late afternoon to evening ET , with TV coverage on CBS, TBS, or related networks.
  • Recent brackets and TV schedules always confirm the exact dates and tip times a few days after the Sweet 16 wraps up.

TL;DR: The Elite Eight starts the weekend right after the Sweet 16, almost always the last Saturday and Sunday of March , with games in the afternoon and evening Eastern Time.

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