The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 of March Madness (NCAA College Basketball)

The NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, best known as March Madness, is the premier university-level men’s basketball competition in the United States. In essence, it is much like the playoffs of professional leagues like the NBA, except that 68 Division 1 teams qualify for the initial rounds (unlike 16 in the NBA) and the rounds are single game elimination matches instead of best-of-seven series. In the past, many players who have had memorable March Madness tournaments have gone on to dominate in the NBA, including legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing, as well as current stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, and Steph Curry. The Sweet 16 round involves the last 16 teams playing knockout matches for the right to move on to the Elite 8 round (the quarterfinals), which involves 8 teams playing for the right to move on to the Final Four (semifinals and final). 

How can I find cheap Sweet 16 tickets and cheap Elite 8 tickets during NCAA March Madness?

Many basketball fans in America look forward to the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament with even more fervent anticipation than than the NBA playoffs! The combination of a chance to see the stars of tomorrow in their formative years along with the pride and passion of representing one’s school and the local attachment to college teams (along with many alumni who continue to support their alma mater) makes this tournament one of the biggest ticket draws on the nation’s sporting calendar.

While this makes for a fantastic atmosphere at the games, it can also render March Madness tickets pretty difficult to find, particularly as we get towards the pointy end of the tournament in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds. Keep checking our listings on TicketX throughout the tournament in order to find the cheapest tickets to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. Our helpful TicketX seating chart also allows you to compare different seating options and evaluate them in terms of location and price. 

Note that some tickets may allow you access to more than one of the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games held at a single venue, so be sure to confirm the kind of ticket you are buying before you purchase it. 

For all the cheapest tickets to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of March Madness, trust TicketX!

Which teams have made it to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 of the 2024 March Madness tournament? What is the schedule for the 2024 March Madness tournament?

2024 NCAA Sweet 16

Thursday, March 28

• Arizona Wildcats vs. Clemson Tigers @ Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)

• North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Alabama Crimson Tide @ Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)

• UConn Huskies vs. San Diego State Aztecs @ TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)

• Iowa State Cyclones vs. Illinois Fighting Illini @ TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)

Friday, March 29

• Marquette Golden Eagles vs. NC State Wolfpack @ American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)

• Purdue Boilermakers vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs @ Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Michigan)

• Houston Cougars vs. Duke Blue Devils @ American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)

• Tennessee Volunteers vs. Creighton Bluejays @ Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Michigan) 

2024 NCAA Elite 8

Saturday, March 30

• UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini @ TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)

• Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide @ Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)

Sunday, March 31

• Purdue Boilermakers vs. Tennessee Volunteers @ Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Michigan)

• Duke Blue Devils vs. NC State Wolfpack @ American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)

When are the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games? What are the exact dates of the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games?  

March Madness obviously takes place in March (though its Final Four games actually tend to occur in early April). The following are the dates for all rounds in the 2024 March Madness tournament (exact dates and times for individual games are still TBA, after Selection Sunday on March 17).

• First Four - March 19-20 

• First and Second Round - March 21-24

• Sweet 16 and Elite 8 - March 28-30

• Final Four - April 6-8 (with the championship final game on April 8)

As you can see, the 8 games of the Sweet 16 round followed by the 4 games of the Elite 8 round take place between March 28-30. 

Where do the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 take place?

Unlike the postseason playoffs of North American professional leagues (NBA, MLS, NFL, NHL), NCAA basketball’s March Madness takes place in a limited number of pre-selected venues that host multiple games. Some of these venues are college basketball arenas, but professional (NBA) arenas are also used in order to house larger crowds. For 2024, all four Sweet 16 and Elite 8 venues are NBA arenas. 

The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games are typically held in 4 different venues, generally across 3-4 days. The four venues for these two rounds are usually selected by region: South, West, East, Midwest.

Here are the 4 venues that have been scheduled for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 of the 2024 March Madness tournament: 

• TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts) - East Region - two Sweet 16 games, one Elite 8 game

• American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) - South Region - two Sweet 16 games, one Elite 8 game

• Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Michigan) - Midwest Region - two Sweet 16 games, one Elite 8 game

• Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California) - West Region - two Sweet 16 games, one Elite 8 game

How do teams qualify for March Madness?

Out of the over 350 men’s Division 1 basketball teams in the United States, 32 teams progress automatically to the postseason March Madness tournament via winning their individual conferences during the regular season. The rest of the 68-team field is chosen by a 12-member selection committee based on a complex set of rules, results, and parameters. The 68 teams are all announced on Selection Sunday (March 17, 2024) just prior to the start of the tournament!

How does the March Madness tournament work? How can teams proceed to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds?

The March Madness basketball tournament is a single-game elimination tournament. If you win, move on. If you lose, buh-bye (try again next year!).

To get to the Sweet 16 round (the final sixteen teams left in the tournament), teams must first win both their First and Second Round matchups. If the team then defeats their opponents in the Sweet 16, they move on to the Elite 8 (essentially a quarterfinal) to fight for the right to move on to the Final Four. 

Which college basketball teams will be participating in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8?

Obviously, no one will know which teams will be participating in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 until the winners of the previous rounds are determined. A good time to check TicketX for available tickets is after each round, when fans whose teams have been eliminated may be selling their tickets to subsequent rounds (there might be some teardrops on those tickets…). Check back on TicketX frequently throughout the NCAA March Madness tournamentto find all the cheapest tickets to the most exciting college basketball games of the year!