Louisville vs. South Florida: When and How to Watch

Everything you need to know about the first round NCAA Tournament matchup

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:20pm

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The 2026 NCAA Tournament field has been announced, and one of the first round games features Louisville taking on South Florida. The game will be played on Thursday, March 19 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with tipoff scheduled for around 1:30 p.m. ET. The matchup will be televised on TNT.

Why it matters

This is a classic first round NCAA Tournament game between two teams looking to advance in the Big Dance. Louisville is a perennial power, while South Florida is hoping to pull off an upset and make a deep tournament run.

The details

The Louisville vs. South Florida game is part of the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The winner will advance to the second round to face a higher-seeded opponent. Both teams will be looking to get off to a strong start in their pursuit of a national championship.

  • The game will be played on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
  • Tipoff is scheduled for around 1:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Louisville Cardinals

A perennial NCAA Tournament team and one of the top programs in college basketball.

South Florida Bulls

An up-and-coming team looking to pull off an upset in the first round of the Big Dance.

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What they’re saying

“This is going to be a great matchup between two teams that are hungry to advance in the tournament.”

— Jim Nantz, CBS Sports Analyst (CBS Sports)

What’s next

The winner of the Louisville vs. South Florida game will move on to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where they will face a higher-seeded opponent.

The takeaway

This first round matchup between Louisville and South Florida is a classic NCAA Tournament game, with the Cardinals looking to continue their tournament success and the Bulls hoping to pull off an upset and advance to the next round.