When Does The Sweet 16 Start? Schedule For March Madness 2021 Games

After wall-to-wall college basketball in the first couple of rounds of March Madness, the 2021 NCAA Tournament has gone on a brief break. That short hiatus is set to end this weekend when the Final Four will be determined.

The Sweet 16, which traditionally starts on Thursdays, this year tips off Saturday afternoon with four games, followed by four more matchups Sunday. The field will be cut down to four teams with Elite Eight games held Monday and Tuesday.

Three double-digit seeds will get a chance to advance on the first day the tournament resumes. No. 15 Oral Roberts can make history by becoming the highest-seeded team to reach the regional final against Arkansas.

No. 12 Oregon State faces No.8 Loyola Chicago in Saturday’s first contest, followed by top-seeded Baylor vs. No. 5 Villanova. Saturday’s action concludes with No. 11 Syracuse against No. 2 Houston.

The national championship favorite plays the first game Sunday as No. 1 Gonzaga faces No. 5 Creighton looking to maintain its perfect record. No. 11 UCLA is the only double-digit seed scheduled to play on the second day of the Sweet 16 against No. 2 Alabama.

Top-seeded Michigan faces No. 5 Florida State, and an all-Pac 12 matchup between No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 USC serves as the Sunday nightcap.

All of the Sweet 16 games will be broadcast on CBS or TBS. The start times range from 2:10 p.m. EDT to 9:55 p.m. EDT.

Here’s the complete Sweet 16 schedule:

Saturday, March 27

No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 8 Loyola Chicago, 2:40 p.m. EDT (CBS)

No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 1 Baylor, 5:15 p.m. EDT (CBS)

No. 15 Oral Roberts vs. No. 3 Arkansas, 7:25 p.m. EDT (TBS)

No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 2 Houston, 9:55 p.m. EDT (TBS)

Sunday, March 28

No. 5 Creighton vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 2:10 p.m. EDT (CBS)

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Michigan, 5:00 p.m. EDT (CBS)

No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 2 Alabama, 7:15 p.m. EDT (TBS)