March 19 (UPI) — More than 100 men’s and women’s college basketball teams will take the court from Friday through Sunday in NCAA Division I tournaments as a highlight in the weekend sports schedule.
The men’s tournament, which started with the First Four on Thursday, features 16 first-round games Friday, another 16 first-round games Saturday and eight second-round matchups Sunday. The women’s tournament starts with 16 games Sunday and the first-round continues Monday.
The NBA regular-season schedule continues with more than two dozen games from Friday through Sunday.
NASCAR also will pack Atlanta Motor Speedway with three races this weekend.
The weekend sports schedule also features a PGA Tour golf tournament, MLB spring training games, European soccer matches, a boxing title bout and NHL regular-season games.
NCAA men’s tourney
Hundreds of men’s college basketball players are in the Indianapolis area for the 2021 Division I men’s basketball tournament. Although games started Thursday, the bulk of the action gets underway with the first round Friday and Saturday on CBS, TruTV, TBS and TNT.
Virginia, a No. 10 seed, battles No. 7 Florida in the first first-round game at 12:15 p.m. EDT Friday on CBS.
Top seeds Baylor and Illinois also take the court Friday. Illinois faces Drexel at 1:15 p.m. EDT Friday on TBS. Baylor battles No. 16 Hartford at 3:30 p.m. EDT on TruTV.
No. 2 seeds Ohio State and Houston also start their tournament runs Friday and have games on CBS and TruTV, respectively. No. 3 seeds Arkansas and West Virginia, No. 4s Purdue and Oklahoma State and No. 5s Tennessee and Villanova will be among the other top seeds in action Friday.
Gonzaga, the No. 1 overall seed for the tournament, looks to push its undefeated record to 27-0 with a first-round game at 9:20 p.m. EDT Saturday on TBS.
No. 12 Georgetown takes on No. 5 Colorado in the first game of Saturday’s schedule. The Hoyas battle the Buffaloes at 12:15 p.m. EDT on CBS.
No. 1 Michigan starts its tournament run at 3 p.m. EDT Saturday on CBS. No. 2 seeds Alabama and Iowa, No. 3s Kansas and Texas, No. 4s Florida State and Virginia and No. 5s Creighton and Colorado also start their tournament runs with games Saturday.
NCAA women’s tourney
The 64-team NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament tips off when Iowa battles Central Michigan at noon EDT Sunday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. That game airs on ESPN.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ABC will air an additional 15 first-round games Sunday. The other 16 first-round games air Monday on the same networks.
Stanford, UConn, Maryland and South Carolina are among the favorites to win the women’s title. UConn — a No. 1 seed — starts its tournament run with a game against No. 16 High Point at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday on ESPN.
No. 1 overall seed Stanford starts the tournament against Utah Valley at 10 p.m. EDT Sunday on ESPN.
Sunday’s first-round games also feature No. 1 seeds South Carolina and N.C. State, No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 seeds Kentucky and West Virginia.
NASCAR
NASCAR’s Cup Series continues with the fifth race of the season Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Drivers start their engines in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday on Fox.
Kevin Harvick will start seventh and is the favorite to win the event. Martin Truex Jr., who won last Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott also are among the favorites to win Sunday in Atlanta.
Cup Series standings leader Denny Hamlin will start first, followed by Keselowski, Joey Logano, Truex Jr., Larson and Elliott in the first three rows.
Drivers also will participate in a Camping World Truck Series event Saturday at the same track. The Fr8Auctions 200 starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT Saturday and airs on FS1. The XFinity Series’ EchoPark 250 follows the truck race at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday on FS1.
Friday
NCAA men’s basketball tournament
No. 10 Virginia Tech vs. No. 7 Florida at 12:15 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 14 Colgate vs. No. 3 Arkansas at 12:45 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 16 Drexel vs. No. 1 Illinois at 1:15 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 11 Utah State vs. No. 6 Texas Tech at 1:45 p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 15 Oral Roberts vs. No. 2 Ohio State at 3 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 16 Hartford vs. No. 1 Baylor at 3:30 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 8 Loyola at 4 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 5 Tennessee at 4:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 13 Liberty vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State at 6:25 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 9 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 UNC at 7:10 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 15 Cleveland State vs. No. 2 Houston at 7:15 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 13 North Texas vs. No. 4 Purdue at 7:25 p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 10 Rutgers vs. No. 7 Clemson at 9:20 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 6 San Diego State at 9:40 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 14 Morehead State vs. No. 3 West Virginia at 9:50 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 12 Winthrop vs. No. 5 Villanova at 9:57 p.m. EDT on TNT
Golf
Honda Classic: Second round from 2 to 6 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel
MLB spring training
Diamondbacks at Brewers at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
NHL
Canucks at Canadiens at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
Flames at Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
NBA
Mavericks at Blazers at 10 p.m. EDT on NBATV
Saturday
NCAA men’s basketball tournament
No. 12 Georgetown vs. No. 5 Colorado at 12:15 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 13 UNC Greensboro vs. No. 4 Florida State at 12:45 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 14 Eastern Washington vs. No. 3 Kansas at 1:15 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 9 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 8 LSU at 1:45 p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s/Texas Southern vs. No. 1 Michigan at 3 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 12 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 5 Creighton at 3:30 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 15 Iona vs. No. 2 Alabama at 4 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 11 Wichita State/Drake vs. No. 6 USC at 4:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 15 Grand Canyon vs. No. 2 Iowa at 6:25 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 10 Maryland vs. No. 7 Connecticut at 7:10 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 13 Ohio vs. No. 4 Virginia at 7:15 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Oklahoma at 7:25. p.m. EDT on TNT
No. 16 Norfolk State/Appalachian State vs. No. 1 Gonzaga at 9:20 p.m. EDT on TBS
No. 11 UCLA/Michigan State vs. No. 6 BYU at 9:40 p.m. EDT on CBS
No. 14 Abilene Christian vs. No. 3 Texas at 9:50 p.m. EDT on TruTV
No. 10 VCU vs. No. 7 Oregon at 9:57 p.m. EDT on TNT
Golf
Honda Classic: Third round from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel; 3 to 6 p.m. EDT on NBC
NASCAR
XFinity Series: EchoPark 250 at 5 p.m. EDT on FS1
Truck Series: Fr8Auctions 200 at 2:30 p.m. EDT on FS1
MLB spring training
Dodgers at Padres at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Boxing
Artur Beterbiev vs. Adam Deines at 4:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
NHL
Flames at Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
Rangers at Capitals at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
NBA
Warriors at Grizzlies at 8 p.m. EDT on NBATV
Sunday
Soccer
FA Cup: Chelsea vs. Sheffield at 9:30 a.m. EDT on ESPN+
Serie A: Juventus vs. Benevento at 10 a.m. EDT on ESPN+
FA Cup: Leicester City vs. Manchester United at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
La Liga: Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona at 4 p.m. EDT on beIN Sports USA
NCAA men’s basketball tournament
Second-round coverage starts at noon EDT and airs on CBS, TBS, TruTV and TNT
NCAA women’s basketball tournament
No. 12 Central Michigan vs. No. 5 Iowa at noon EDT on ESPN
No. 10 Marquette vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech at noon EDT on ESPNU
No. 9 Wake Forest vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
No. 13 Idaho State vs. No. 4 Kentucky at 2 p.m. EDT on ESPN
No. 14 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 3 Tennessee at 2 p.m. EDT on ABC
No. 11 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 6 Michigan at 3 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
No. 16 North Carolina A&T vs. No. 1 N.C. State at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN
No. 15 Jackson State vs. No. 2 Baylor at 4 p.m. EDT on ABC
No. 12 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 5 Georgia Tech at 4:30 p.m. EDT on ESPNU
No. 9 South Dakota State vs. No. 8 Syracuse at 5:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
No. 16 Mercer vs. No. 1 South Carolina at 6 p.m. EDT on ESPN
No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 8 Oregon State at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
No. 16 High Point vs. No. 1 UConn at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN
No. 13 Lehigh vs. No. 4 West Virginia at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPNU
No. 9 Washington State vs. No. 8 South Florida at 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
No. 16 Utah Valley vs. No. 1 Stanford at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Golf
Honda Classic: Final round from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel; 3 to 6 p.m. EDT on NBC
NASCAR Cup Series
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at 3 p.m. EDT on Fox
NHL
Panthers at Lightning at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
Golden Knights at Kings at 6 p.m. EDT on NBCSN
Predators at Stars at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+
MLB spring training
Angels at Padres at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Giants at Dodgers at 9:05 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
NBA
Wizards at Nets at 7 p.m. EDT on NBATV
Lakers at Suns at 10 p.m. EDT on NBATV