It has already been a thrilling start to March Madness and there is more to come with a weekend full of games. There is plenty of action on the March Madness schedule for Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Teams are competing with spots in the Sweet 16 on the line. There are a total of eight games on Saturday, with an additional eight matchups on Sunday, March 22.
Here’s a rundown of some of the headliners for today’s NCAA Tournament schedule. No. 3 Gonzaga takes on No. 11 Texas at 7:10 p.m. Eastern on TBS.
After surviving a first round scare, No. 1 Duke battles No. 9 TCU at 5:15 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Additionally, No. 3 Michigan State takes on No. 6 Louisville at 2:45 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Here’s a look at the upcoming March Madness schedule for Saturday, March 21.
March Madness Schedule: NCAA Tournament Games on TV for Saturday, March 21
| DATE | GAME | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL |
| Sat., March 21 | 1 Michigan vs. 9 St. Louis | 12: 10 p.m. | CBS |
| Sat., March 21 | 3 Michigan St. vs. 6 Louisville | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| Sat., March 21 | 1 Duke vs. 9 TCU | 5:15 p.m. | CBS |
| Sat., March 21 | 2 Houston vs. 10 Texas A&M | 6:10 p.m. | TNT |
| Sat., March 21 | 3 Gonzaga vs. 11 Texas | 7:10 p.m. | TBS |
| Sat., March 21 | 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU | 7:50 p.m. | CBS |
| Sat., March 21 | 4 Nebraska vs. 5 Vanderbilt | 8:45 p.m. | TNT |
| Sat., March 21 | 4 Arkansas vs. 12 High Point | 9:45 p.m. | TBS |
Kentucky-Santa Clara Provided the Most Thrilling Moment of March Madness
Kentucky-Santa Clara may have provided the most thrilling ending of the tournament. Santa Clara was seconds away from pulling off the upset before Kentucky hit a buzzer beater to force overtime. In the end, the Wildcats were able to escape with a victory.
“I don’t know where you get this drama,” Pope remarked after Kentucky’s exciting victory, per 247Sports. “I don’t know where you get this transformation of emotions from despair to thrill to despair to thrill in a matter of four seconds. But we got that a bunch tonight, and it’s pretty great.
“… This game has a magical pull. It has a power over me. I love everything about it. I love the chance to be in the locker room. I love a chance to grow a team and face adversity and overcome it,” Pope noted.
“I love the chance to do things people don’t think you can do. I love the chance to climb the mountain. All of that is here. All of that culminates at the NCAA Tournament.”
March Madness Schedule for Sunday, March 22, Is Full of Historic Matchups
The Sweet 16 will be set after another round of games on Sunday, March 22. There are no shortage of historic matchups on Sunday’s schedule.
No. 7 Kentucky takes on No. 2 Iowa State at 2:45 p.m. Eastern. No. 4 Kansas battles No. 5 St. John’s at 5:15 p.m. Eastern. Additionally, No. 2 UConn squares off against No. 7 UCLA.
All this leads to the Sweet 16 which starts on Thursday, March 26. Heading into the weekend, Arizona is the national championship favorite at +350 closely followed by Michigan at +380, per FanDuel.
By the time the Final Four starts on Saturday, April 4, most fans’ brackets will be busted. Yet, the entertainment of the NCAA Tournament always delivers, even if our brackets are not so fortunate.
March Madness Games on TV Today: NCAA Tournament Schedule on Saturday, March 21