When does March Madness start? The NCAA Tournament, known collectively as March Madness, is one of the biggest events in sports. Covered by CBS, ESPN, and other major networks, the tournament begins with the First Four games and runs all the way through the National Championship game in both the women’s bracket and men’s tournament.
March Madness takes place throughout March. The men’s NCAA tournament garners national attention starting with Selection Sunday on Sunday, March 16, moving into the first four games, going through the Elite Eight and Final Four, culminating in the National Championship game.
We will have a Texas NCAA Championship game for the men’s NCAA tournament, while the women’s NCAA tournament will culminate in Tampa, Florida. In this guide, you will learn about both NCAA Division I tournaments, dates for the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and all the games between.
When Does March Madness Start?
Though NCAA March Madness officially kicks off when the Men’s NCAA tournament begins with the first four on March 18 and March 19, things really get moving with Selection Sunday. The regional men’s final will take place with the Final Four, held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. The NCAA men’s tournament runs through the NCAA National Championship on Monday, April 7, also held in the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The women’s bracket shares Selection Sunday on Sunday, March 16 with the men’s tournament. The women’s NCAA tournament will run through April 6, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. The regional semifinals will be held in Alabama and Washington, with the national semifinals taking place in Tampa as well.
Tournament Bracket
After tournament conference play has concluded, we have Selection Sunday. On Sunday, March 16, the selection committee will choose which teams make it into the top 64 of the NCAA tournament bracket. From there, teams play each round, attempting to win and advance. The Division I Men’s NCAA tournament begins on March 18 with the first four games.
Games in Dayton, Ohio on March 18 and March 19 kick off the round of 64. Each first round game will be played on March 20 and 21 in Ohio, Kentucky, Washington, and Providence leading into the second round (the Round of 32) on March 22 and 23. Schools that win their games will reach the Sweet 16 on March 27, which takes place in San Francisco and Newark. Victors in the Sweet 16 move on to the Elite Eight, taking place in Indianapolis.
All of this leads to the NCAA Final Four. The women’s Final Four will take place on April 4 in Tampa, Florida while the Division I men’s NCAA tournament will be in Texas at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Read on to find out more about the first and second rounds, get the insight on the full schedule and all the games, the sites, the schools, and everything about March Madness.
Texas NCAA Championship Game
Texas will play host to the national championship game of the men’s NCAA tournament. Though the bracket will run through San Francisco, North Carolina, Indianapolis, and Dayton, Ohio, it all comes to a head in San Antonio.
No team from Texas has ended the March Madness season as champion. Texas has been to the Elite Eight three times, most recently in 2008. Others have made runs to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, but most games in the first round and second round end with a Texas team losing. It would be huge for a Texas team to make it to the regional finals or regional semifinals, let alone end the season as champion.
In men’s March Madness, there should be more than a few teams from the host state. Texas Tech, Houston, Texas A&M, and Baylor are pretty safe and should be on the schedule. The season still has the conference finals to go before Selection Sunday. North Texas, Texas, and others could possibly sneak into the tournament as well. Being able to win in front of the home crowd would be incredible, but there are a lot of games left to play.
Final Four
After advancing through the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, both men’s and women’s winners will reach the Final Four. For the men, the four teams will play on April 5 in San Antonio. For the women, the winners of the Spokane and Birmingham regional will meet in Tampa on April 4.
Teams qualify for the Final Four by winning in the first round, second round, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight. Each bracket has different locations like Dayton, OH, San Francsico, Indianapolis, and other sites. Win and you move on. There is no simpler and more exciting time in sports than March Madness.
Though there will be plenty of moments of the first four through the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, everyone will be talking about the Final Four. Whether it be moments like Chris Weber’s errant timeout against Kentucky, Anthony Davis’ dominant run, or Kaitlin Clark’s recent runs with Iowa, these are the moments that sports are about. Games will be available to millions on ESPN and CBS, meaning the whole world will be watching.
Florida NCAA Championship Game
On the women’s side of the March Madness bracket, things will ultimately conclude in April in Tampa, Florida. The women’s NCAA tournament has become a big event in sports, including getting its own version of Selection Sunday.
Florida hasn’t had much success for the women, but the men’s team has won March Madness twice, most recently in 2007. Several teams from the Sunshine State are hoping to turn the host city into a home game on the biggest stage in sports.
Florida State is the highest seed in the women’s March Madness bracket. They are currently projected to be a No. 6 seed when Selection Sunday rolls around. Florida Gulf Coast could be a No. 13 but don’t be surprised if they’re in the first four. It will be a challenge for a team from Florida to reach the second round, so stay tuned on ESPN and CBS to see if they can do it.
March Madness: Full Tournament Breakdown
Starting with Selection Sunday, March Madness begins with 68 teams. The first four will play to narrow the bracket down to the 64 teams that comprise the tournament. From there, it is a single-elimination format with each team that wins advancing to the next round.
The bracket is broken up into four regions. Each region has seeding, 1-16, that determines matchups. Teams try to advance out of the first round in Dayton, through the second round, and into the next round after that.
Each season, there are teams that everyone is betting on to make it out of the first and second round, into the Sweet 16 and beyond. That said, some underdogs shock the world on the first day of the first round. Tune into CBS and ESPN to see who makes it out, which teams gain steam, and who is the last one left.
How to Watch March Madness 2025
March Madness can be watched in any number of ways. For starters, you can watch most games through the March Madness Live app using your tv provider. Games will be on CBS and ESPN, Max, TNT, TBS, and other channels.
You can also check a litany of apps and websites, like Bleacher Report, for scores and tournament updates. ESPN and CBS also have apps dedicated to March Madness scores as well.
If you have local channels, you can watch games on CBS. Digital antenna is a possibility as well, even for games on ESPN as well. There are also some streaming options where feeds from CBS, ESPN, TNT, and other networks are available.
March Madness Betting & Predictions
When wagering on the NCAA tournament, it is crucial to shop odds. Find the best odds to maximize value and do your homework on each matchup. Just because a team is seeded higher doesn’t make it an automatic win. Do your research if you want to find the underdogs most likely to shock the world.
There are plenty of sports betting apps to choose from, but FanDuel and DraftKings are running some of the best March Madness promotions going right now. For both, you can garner hundreds of dollars in bonus bets by wagering just $5. It is a fantastic start to the most exciting time in sports.
It can be all too easy to just bet on the underdogs and hope for a shocker. The key is to compare the matchups, see how teams have been playing, whether anyone is out of the lineup, and any other piece of information that could sway your bet. The more information you have, the better suited you will be to predict the potential upsets.
If you do plan on wagering on March Madness games, make sure that you are using legal platforms. Most states currently offer sports betting in some form, though there are notable exceptions like Texas and California. Sign up for an account in time for March Madness and make Selection Sunday and beyond even more exciting.
FAQs About March Madness 2025
1. When does March Madness start in 2025?
Before the NCAA tournament begins for both men’s and women’s college basketball, there is Selection Sunday. Happening on Sunday, March 16, Selection Sunday features the creation of both brackets. The first round of games, beginning with the first four, begins on March 18 for the men and March 19 for the women, with both sets of first four games ending on March 20.
2. What is the schedule for the Final Four?
Let’s break down the March Madness schedule between the men and the women. Starting with the men’s NCAA tournament, the first four will kick things off on March 18 and 19. The first round takes place on March 20 and 21, with the second round following on March 22 and 23 in places like Dayton, Ohio, San Francisco, and North Carolina. The Sweet 16 is on March 27 and 28 in San Francisco, with the Elite Eight to follow on March 29 and 30. The Final Four, one of the most popular events in sports, happens on April 5 in San Antonio, Texas. Finally, the national championship game concludes the schedule on April 7, also in San Antonio, Texas.
Women’s March Madness has different sites, though it will also be seen on ESPN and CBS throughout the tournament schedule. The first four begins on March 19 and March 20. After the first and second rounds conclude, the regional semifinals (Sweet 16) take place in Alabama on March 28-31, before giving way to the regional finals (Elite Eight) on Spokane, Washington. The national semifinals, the Final Four, happens on April 4, with the national championship happening on April 6, both happening at the Amalie Arena.
3. Where is the NCAA Championship Game in 2025?
The men’s March Madness tournament will conclude with the national championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on April 7. For the women, their March Madness championship game takes place on Sunday, April 6 in Tampa, Florida.
4. How are teams selected for March Madness?
Teams are selected by the selection committee on what is known as Selection Sunday. For both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament, 64 teams are chosen for each bracket on Sunday, March 16. The NCAA tournament takes place starting on March 18 and March 19 with the first four games on CBS before officially beginning the first round.
5. What area the best March Madness betting sites?
There are plenty of sports betting sites to choose from for March Madness. DraftKings and FanDuel are among the best places to play in the world of sports betting. With tremendous bonuses starting on Selection Sunday, and running through each round like the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four, there is no better place to wager on sports.
Key Locations and March Madness Insights
It is crucial to know all of the important dates and sites, when the NCAA tournament takes place, and how you can watch every game from the first round to the Sweet 16 to the Final Four and the final game in April.
Check out popular sites like Bleacher Report to stay updated on brackets, the full schedule, teams still in the tournament, and everything that takes place during March Madness. You can also follow betting odds during March Madness to find the right play, giving you a chance to win each round all the way through the final.
Act now to get live updates on the schedule, the games, and all NCAA news. This is one of the biggest tournaments in sports and they don’t call it “March Madness” for nothing. Sign up today and see which teams will be left standing in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas when April rolls around.
