2026 Women’s March Madness Sweet Sixteen: Schedule, times and TV info

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament has reached the Sweet Sixteen, and with eight games scheduled across two days, the path to the Final Four is coming into focus.

After an intense second round full of high‑stakes drama, including a thrilling double‑overtime upset by No. 10 seed Virginia over No. 2 Iowa, and strong performances by top seeds, just 16 teams remain in contention for a national title. One perfect bracket still survives after all 48 games of the first two rounds, and it includes several surprise results that have kept fans on their toes.

Now the Sweet Sixteen kicks off on Friday and continues through Saturday with the best of college women’s basketball on display, featuring powerhouse programs, potential Cinderella runs and future stars stepping into the spotlight.

Women’s March Madness 2026: Sweet 16 schedule

Friday, March 27

All times Eastern - all games on ESPN

• 2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
• 5:00 p.m. - No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 North Carolina
• 7:30 p.m. - No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Minnesota
• 10:00 p.m. - No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Duke

Saturday, March 28 (Sweet Sixteen)

All times Eastern

• 12:30 p.m. - No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Louisville (ABC)
• 3:00 p.m. - No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Kentucky (ABC)
• 5:00 p.m. - No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (ESPN)
• 7:30 p.m. - No. 3 TCU vs. No. 10 Virginia (ESPN)

How to watch

All Sweet Sixteen games are televised nationally, with ESPN and ABC carrying the full slate. Fans can also stream via the March Madness Live app or through streaming services that carry ESPN and ABC (such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Fubo).

What to watch this weekend

Top programs still alive

Defending national powers like the UConn Huskies and UCLA Bruins continue to assert their dominance, with UConn entering the weekend undefeated and Minnesota’s matchup against UCLA shaping up as a battle of contrasting styles.

Underdogs and storylines

Two mid‑tier seeds have captured attention already:

• No. 10 Virginia, fresh off their upset of Iowa, now face No. 3 TCU in what could be a historic run. TCU’s offense has been one of the most efficient in the country, giving them a path to the Elite Eight if they can maintain their scoring output.
• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Louisville both feature marquee mid‑round matchups with bracket implications for fans and bracket challengers alike.

National implications

With only eight teams advancing to the Elite Eight, Sweet Sixteen weekend will likely determine not only who gets closer to a title, but also how the story of 2026 is written, whether it’s another run from a perennial power, a breakout from a rising program, or yet another memorable upset.

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