Sweet 16 Basketball: Tournament Start Dates And More!

when does the sweet 16 basketball tournament start

The Sweet 16 is the next phase of the NCAA's illustrious college basketball tournament, which will be held on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28, with eight games in total, four each day. The teams that make it to the Sweet 16 are only two wins away from the Final Four. The Sweet 16 is a highly anticipated tournament phase, with big-name schools and college basketball blue bloods competing for a place in the Elite Eight.

Characteristics Values
Date Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28
Number of Teams 16
Number of Games 8
Number of Games per Day 4
Teams Alabama, BYU, Florida, Maryland, Duke, Arizona, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kentucky, Auburn, Michigan

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The Sweet 16 tournament schedule

The Sweet 16 tournament is an exciting part of the annual NCAA March Madness tournament, and the 2025 edition is no different. The tournament is set to start on Thursday, March 27, and will run until Friday, March 28, with four games each day. The teams will be vying for a place in the Elite Eight on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30.

  • No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU (7:09 p.m. ET on CBS)
  • No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland (7:39 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV)
  • No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona (9:39 p.m. ET on CBS)
  • No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Arkansas (10:09 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV)

And the matchups for Friday, March 28, are as follows:

  • No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (7:09 p.m. ET on CBS)
  • No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky (7:39 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV)
  • No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan (9:39 p.m. ET on CBS)
  • No. 4 vs. No. 4 (9:39 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV)—the teams for this matchup are yet to be decided.

The Sweet 16 tournament features some of the biggest names in college basketball, including all four No. 1 seeds—Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston. Arkansas, the only double-digit seed to make it through to the Sweet 16, will be a team to watch as they are led by a Hall of Fame coach and stacked with talented players. Duke is also a strong contender, having rolled through the first weekend of the tournament with impressive wins over Mount St. Mary's and Baylor.

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Teams that made it to Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 is the name given to the third round of the men's NCAA Tournament, also known as March Madness. The Sweet 16 round is followed by the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and the Championship Game.

In 2024, the Sweet 16 round was held on Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, with four games taking place each day. The teams that made it to the 2024 Sweet 16 included Duke, Houston, Clemson, Creighton, Tennessee, Alabama, Connecticut, and Gonzaga.

In 2025, the Sweet 16 round was held on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28, with four games taking place each day. The teams that made it to the 2025 Sweet 16 included Alabama, Duke, Tennessee, Kentucky, Auburn, Purdue, Michigan State, Florida, Arizona, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Maryland, and Michigan.

The Sweet 16 round typically includes a mix of college basketball powerhouses and up-and-coming programs, with the top-ranked teams often considered favorites to advance to the later rounds of the tournament.

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Matchups, times and channels

The Sweet 16 round of the men's NCAA Tournament will be held on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28, with four games each day. The matchups, times, and channels for the games are as follows:

On Thursday, March 27:

  • No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU at 7:09 p.m. ET on CBS
  • No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland at 7:39 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV
  • No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona at 9:39 p.m. ET on CBS
  • No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Arkansas at 10:09 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV

On Friday, March 28:

  • No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss at 7:09 p.m. ET on CBS
  • No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky at 7:39 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV
  • No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan at 9:39 p.m. ET on CBS

The Sweet 16 includes matchups from the SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten conferences. All four No. 1 seeds—Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston—have made it through to the Sweet 16, along with Arkansas, the only double-digit seed to advance.

The winners of the Sweet 16 will advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, moving one step closer to the Final Four.

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How to watch Sweet 16 games

The Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament is when the tournament truly heats up, with powerhouse programs making statements and underdogs pulling off shocking upsets. If you want to watch the Sweet 16 games, knowing where to tune in is key.

For the 2025 Sweet 16, you can watch men's basketball games on CBS Sports and TNT Sports networks. Most of these networks are available on popular TV providers like DIRECTV STREAM and Xfinity. You can also subscribe to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME to stream the CBS March Madness games and Max to watch the TBS and truTV games. With an over-the-air (OTA) antenna like the Mohu Leaf 50, you can watch men's games on CBS for free.

For the women's basketball games, you can tune into ESPN channels. You will need a free trial for a live TV streaming service to watch ESPN for free. The same goes for any men's games on TBS and truTV. DIRECTV STREAM is a good option for its channel lineup and five-day free trial period.

In 2024, the men's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round was held on Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, with four games each day. The games aired on CBS and TBS.

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Predictions and betting odds

The Sweet 16 Tournament is one of the most exciting times for college basketball fans and bettors alike. The 2024 Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament saw 16 schools advance and 16 eliminated, with betting markets and odds available at every online sportsbook.

The Sweet 16 bracket is usually dominated by the top-seeded teams each year, and the odds are often favourable, although they depend on the betting market. The odds for each match-up tend to be tight, as teams are generally well-paired. However, the odd game with a favourite may show large spreads and big payouts on the underdog.

For 2024, the lowest seed to make it to the Sweet 16 bracket was #12, which has only happened once. A handful of #11 seeds have also made it to this round, but it is rare.

Betting picks and predictions for the Sweet 16 games in 2024 included:

  • Clemson 77 (+7.5), Arizona 72 - Under 153.5
  • UConn 82 (-11.5), San Diego State 52 - Under 137.5
  • Alabama 89 (+4.5), North Carolina 87 - Over 174.5
  • Illinois (+1.5) 72, Iowa State 69 - Under 146.5
  • N.C. State 67 (+7.5), Marquette 58 - Under 151.5
  • Purdue 80 (-7.5), Gonzaga 68 - Under 155.5
  • Duke (+4.5) 54, Houston 51 - Under 133.5
  • Tennessee (-3.5) 82, Creighton 75 - Over 146.5

For the 2025 Sweet 16 Tournament, betting odds and predictions are already available at online sportsbooks like BetMGM. While the betting odds for each game have been published, specific betting picks and predictions are not as readily available. However, some insights suggest that No. 1 seed Houston has a clear path through the first half of the tournament, making them an interesting value proposition. Additionally, Auburn was a betting favourite for the 2025 tournament, but recent losses have cast some doubt on their performance.

Frequently asked questions

The Sweet 16 tournament starts on Thursday, March 27, and continues on Friday, March 28.

There will be four games each day, eight games in total.

The No.2 Alabama, No.1 Florida, No.1 Duke, No.3 Texas Tech, No.2 Michigan State, No.2 Tennessee, No.1 Auburn, and No.10 Arkansas.

The games will be broadcasted on CBS, TBS, and truTV.

The No.10 Arkansas team is led by Hall of Fame coach John Calipari. The No.1 Duke team is led by standout player Tyrese Proctor, who scored 25 and 19 points in the opening weekend.

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