The men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament brings the annual March Madness tradition to the airwaves and high-profile hardcourts across the country.
Following the pageantry of Selection Sunday that fills a 68-team bracket, the tournament will tip off with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on March 19-20. State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz., will host both the Final Four (semifinals, played Saturday, April 6), and the National Championship Game (Monday, April 8).
Brush up on when you can watch all the NCAAB championship action, follow along with your bracket wins and busts, and bookmark the dates for the Final Four and National Championship Game.
While you’re at it, peek at our best March Madness betting promo codes to get your wagers in line for the tourney.
When Is March Madness Selection Sunday 2025?
- Selection Sunday, when the infamous tournament bracket is unveiled, aired Sunday, March 17, following the conclusion of the Big Ten title game on CBS at 6 p.m. ET.
- Every NCAA men’s tournament game is being broadcast on either CBS, TBS, TNT, or TruTV.
- Each of the 16-team regions were revealed, as were the eight teams who participated in the First Four (more on that below). Each of the 32 automatic qualifiers, who receive bids by winning each Division I conference tournament, learned where and who it will play its first-round game.
- Additionally, the 36 at-large selections, chosen by the sport’s selection committee, learned their destinations as well. As usual, there were cheers and tears of joy — and sorrow from teams’ whose bubbles were burst by not being selected for the field.
NCAA Tournament Game Schedule & Locations
Although it’s referred to as March Madness, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament always ends on the first Monday in April.
Last year, powerhouse Connecticut defeated the March Madness Cinderellas from San Diego State 76-59 in the National Championship Game.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament Final Four will take place in Phoenix, Ariz., at State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
However, based on how the full 68-team field fills out, the Final Four matchups will pit regional winners against each other. Whoever plays each other among the East, West, South, and Midwest regions changes depending on overall seedings and homefield advantage for the top teams.
Below are the tipoff start times for all 67 NCAA tournament games.
First Four Schedule & Results
The First Four games — held Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20 — determined who will fill in the last four bracket spots to cut the field from 68 to 64.
All First Four games were held in Dayton, Ohio. Here’s the start time rundown:
Tuesday, March 19: First Four Games
- (16) Wagner vs. (16) Howard: 6:40 p.m. (truTV)
- (10) Colorado State vs. (10) Virginia: 9:10 p.m. (truTV)
Wednesday, March 20: First Four Games
- (16) Grambling vs. (16) Montana State: 9:10 p.m. (truTV)
- (10) Colorado vs (10) Boise State: 9:10 p.m. (truTV)
Bet on the latest NCAA Tournament round games with our CBB odds comparison tool, which finds the top college basketball odds.
March Madness Round 1 Schedule & Results
Thursday, March 21
- (8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Michigan State | 12:15 p.m. (CBS)
- (6) BYU vs. (11) Duquesne | 12:40 p.m. (truTV)
- (3) Creighton vs. (14) Akron | 1:30 p.m. (TNT)
- (2) Arizona vs. (15) Long Beach State | 2 p.m. (TBS)
- (1) North Carolina vs. (16) Howard/(16) Wagner | 2:45 p.m. (CBS)
- (3) Illinois vs. (14) Morehead State | 3:10 p.m. (truTV)
- (6) South Carolina vs. (11) Oregon | 4 p.m. (TNT)
- (7) Dayton vs. (1) Nevada | 4:30 p.m. (TBS)
- (3) Kentucky vs. (14) Oakland | 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
- (5) Gonzaga vs. (12) McNeese State | 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
- (2) Iowa State vs. (15) South Dakota State | 7:35 p.m. (TNT)
- (2) Tennessee vs. (15) Saint Peter’s | 9:20 p.m. (TNT)
- (6) Texas Tech vs. (11) NC State | 9:40 p.m. (CBS)
- (4) Kansas vs. (13) Samford | 9:55 p.m. (TBS)
- (7) Washington State vs. (10) Drake | 10:05 p.m. (truTV)
Friday, March 22
- (8) Florida Atlantic vs. (9) Northwestern | 12:15 p.m. (CBS)
- (3) Baylor vs. (14) Colgate | 12:40 p.m. (truTV)
- (5) San Diego State vs. (12) UAB | 1:45 p.m. (TNT)
- (2) Marquette vs. (15) Western Kentucky | 2 p.m. (TBS)
- (1) UConn vs. (16) Stetson | 2:45 p.m. (CBS)
- (6) Clemson vs. (11) New Mexico | 3:10 p.m. (truTV)
- (4) Auburn vs. (13) Yale | 4:15 p.m. (TNT)
- (7) Florida vs. (10) Colorado/(10) Boise State | 4:30 p.m. (TBS)
- (8) Nebraska vs. (9) Texas A&M | 6:50 p.m. (TNT)
- (4) Duke vs. (13) Vermont | 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
- (1) Purdue vs. (16) Grambling/(16) Montana State | 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
- (4) Alabama vs. (13) College of Charleston | 7:35 p.m. (truTV)
- (1) Houston vs. (16) Longwood | 9:20 p.m. (TNT)
- (5) Wisconsin vs. (12) James Madison | 9:40 p.m. (CBS)
- (8) Utah State vs. (9) TCU | 9:55 p.m. (TBS)
- (5) Saint Mary’s vs. (12) Grand Canyon | 10:05 p.m. (truTV)
Round 2 Schedule & Results
Saturday, March 23
- NCAA Tournament Round 2 games TBD
Sunday, March 24
- NCAA Tournament Round 2 games TBD
Sweet 16 Schedule | Round of 16 Games
Thursday, March 28
- NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 games TBD
Friday, March 29
- NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 games TBD
Elite 8 Results
Saturday, March 30
- NCAA Tournament Elite 8 games TBD
Sunday, March 31
- NCAA Tournament Elite 8 games TBD
Final Four Schedule & Location
Saturday, April 6
State Farm Stadium — Phoenix, Ariz. (times approximate and based on previous tournaments)
- Final Four Game 1, 6:09 p.m. ET
- Final Four Game 2, 8:49 p.m. ET
NCAA Tournament National Championship Game
Monday, April 8
State Farm Stadium — Phoenix, Ariz. (time approximate and based on previous tournaments)
- Final Four Game 1 winner vs. Final Four Game 2 winner, 9 p.m. ET
How Do I Fill Out a March Madness Bracket?
Filling out a March Madness bracket is a cinch. Simply pick the winner of each of the 63 regular tournament games and a tiebreaker of how many points will be in the final game.
If you need tips or advice about filling out your bracket, you can consult our handy and easy-to-consume our NCAA Tournament tips and March Madness printable bracket.
How Can I Bet on the NCAA Tournament?
The NCAA tournament is like spring break for sports bettors since there are no rules. The games are on at all hours of the day and night during the first weekend, and there’s no shortage of drama in the form of upsets, buzzer-beaters and overtime games.
Betting on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is as easy as selecting games, props, and totals for each game you’d prefer to. With more and more legal online sportsbooks cropping up each day, it’s never been easier to get in on the action and find sports betting sites for March Madness.
Watching the tournament is fun, but cashing in on your upstart Cinderella pick or inevitable No. 12 over No. 5 upset makes things even better.
Plus, there are all kinds of new-user bonuses and new-signup offers, like second-chance bets, deposit matches and bet-and-gets that will give new bettors a ton of playable funds during one of the best sporting events on the calendar.
