2026 NCAA Tournament: Tip-off times, TV channels announced for Saturday Round of 32 games

Action at Day One of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is officially complete, providing multiple games filled with action on Thursday. While 16 teams had their hearts broken, another 16 are still alive and competing for a national championship. Next up for them is the Round of 32, slated to begin on Saturday.

Matchups have been set and now, further information on them has been released. Tip-off times and TV channels are known. Hopefully, we are in store for another great day of college hoops as spots in the Sweet Sixteen are officially on the line.

Here’s the full schedule for each game this week to tip off the start of the 2025 NCAA Tournament per CBS. You can check out how Saturday will play out below.

East Region – Washington, D.C.

1. Duke vs. No. 9 TCU
5:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
3. Michigan State vs. No. 6 Louisville
2:45 p.m. ET (CBS)

West Region – San Jose

No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas
7:10 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 12 High Point
9:45 p.m. ET (TBS)

Midwest Region – Chicago

1. Michigan vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
12 p.m. ET (CBS)

South Region – Houston

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
6:10 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 11 VCU
7:50 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt
8:45 p.m. ET (TNT)

Thursday provides exciting action at 2026 NCAA Tournament

Nobody was really sure what to expect out of this year’s NCAA Tournament. Some separation from the power conference programs may have been expected. But the mid-majors fought back in a big way. Multiple double-digit seeds are now set to play on Saturday, looking to advance to the second weekend.

The biggest story of the night may be North Carolina crashing out. Head coach Hubert Davis saw his team build up a massive lead, only to crumble down the stretch. Overtime was required before VCU found a way to get the victory over the finish line. Quite a win for a team that the selection committee admitted needed to win the A-10 to get into the field.

High Point also provided a great moment, beating Wisconsin. Head coach Flynn Clayman went on a fiery rant during his postgame interview, saying high-major teams cannot duck mid-majors during the NCAA Tournament. He gets another test in the Round of 32, going up vs. John Calipari and Arkansas.