March Madness is upon us, and fans across the nation are gearing up for the exhilarating first-round matchups of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Here's your comprehensive guide on how to catch all the action:
Tournament Schedule Overview
First Four: March 18-19
First Round: March 20-21
Second Round: March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27-28
Elite Eight: March 29-30
Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
National Championship Game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
First Four Tip Times
Tuesday, March 18
UD Arena (Dayton)
6:40 p.m.: (16) Saint Francis vs. (16) Alabama State
9:10 p.m.: (11) North Carolina vs. (11) San Diego State
Wednesday, March 19
6:40 p.m.: (16) Mount St. Mary's vs. (16) American
9:10 p.m.: (11) Xavier vs. (11) Texas
First-Round Broadcast Information
First-round games will be televised on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV. Fans can also stream games using the below methods:
Streaming Services:
Hulu + Live TV
ESPN+
YouTube TV
Sling TV
FuboTV
Be sure to check the channel guide for each as local channels may not be available in all locations. If that is the case a subscription to Paramount+ may also be needed as opening round games will be broadcast there if the game is on CBS.
Thursday, March 20 Schedule
All times Eastern.
12:15 p.m.: No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton (Lexington) | CBS
12:40 p.m.: No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point (Providence) | truTV
1:30 p.m.: No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana (Denver) | TNT
2:00 p.m.: No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville (Wichita) | TBS
2:50 p.m.: No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Saint Francis/Alabama State (Lexington) | CBS
3:15 p.m.: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese State (Providence) | truTV
4:05 p.m.: No. 6 Brigham Young vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth (Denver) | TNT
4:35 p.m.: No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia (Wichita) | TBS
6:50 p.m.: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford (Lexington) | TNT
7:10 p.m.: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas (Providence) | CBS
7:25 p.m.: No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale (Denver) | TBS
7:35 p.m.: No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake (Wichita) | truTV
9:25 p.m.: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State (Lexington) | TNT
9:45 p.m.: No. 2 St. John's vs. No. 15 Omaha (Providence) | CBS
10:00 p.m.: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego (Denver) | TBS
10:10 p.m.: No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC-Wilmington (Wichita) | truTV
Friday, March 21 Schedule
All times Eastern.
12:15 p.m.: No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor (Raleigh) | CBS
12:40 p.m.: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris (Cleveland) | truTV
1:30 p.m.: No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb (Milwaukee) | TNT
2:00 p.m.: No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State (Seattle) | TBS
2:50 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary's/American (Raleigh) | CBS
3:15 p.m.: No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt (Cleveland) | truTV
4:05 p.m.: No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 11 North Carolina/San Diego State (Milwaukee) | TNT
4:35 p.m.: No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon (Seattle) | TBS
6:50 p.m.: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (Raleigh) | TNT
7:10 p.m.: No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy (Milwaukee) | CBS
7:25 p.m.: No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico (Cleveland) | TBS
7:35 p.m.: No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron (Seattle) | truTV
9:25 p.m.: No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (Raleigh) | TNT
9:45 p.m.: No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier/Texas (Milwaukee) | CBS
10:00 p.m.: No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant (Cleveland) | TBS
10:10 p.m.: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty (Seattle) | truTV
Kentucky basketball gets CBS again
The Cats are familiar with CBS, as a lot of Kentucky openeing round games are broadcast over CBS. That is a good thing for those who would like to watch but do not have streaming or cable. You can get a digital receiver and depending on how close you are to the broadcast source, you can watch it for free.