March Madness Schedule: Your ultimate guide to the tournament schedule & how to watch every game

The excitement surrounding March Madness 2025 is heating up as the 68-team bracket for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was officially revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16.

Fans across the country are gearing up for a thrilling ride as college basketball's biggest tournament kicks off.

Here’s a breakdown of the full schedule for the upcoming tournament, including when and where to catch all the live action.

March Madness: Key dates to mark on your calendar

The official March Madness 2025 schedule is packed with high-stakes games, starting with Selection Sunday on March 16. Here’s a look at the key dates:

• Selection Sunday: March 16, 6 p.m. ET (CBS)
• First Four: March 18-19 (Dayton, Ohio)
• First Round: March 20-21
• Second Round: March 22-23
• Sweet 16: March 27-28
• Elite Eight: March 29-30
• Final Four: April 5 (Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas)
• National Championship Game: April 7 (Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas)

The tournament begins with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, on March 18-19, where the 16th and 11th seeds battle it out for a chance to move forward in the bracket.

This will be followed by the highly anticipated First Round starting on March 20. The stakes will rise as teams fight for a place in the Second Round.

Detailed March Madness game schedule

Here’s a breakdown of some of the key games in the first few days of the tournament:

First Four (March 18-19)

• Tuesday, March 18 (Dayton, Ohio)
• (16) Alabama State vs. (16) Saint Francis – 6:40 p.m. | truTV
• (11) San Diego State vs. (11) North Carolina – 9:10 p.m. | truTV
• Wednesday, March 19 (Dayton, Ohio)
• (16) American University vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's – 6:40 p.m. | truTV
• (11) Texas vs. (11) Xavier – 9:10 p.m. | truTV

First Round (March 20-21)

• Thursday, March 20
• (8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton – 12:15 p.m. | CBS
• (4) Purdue vs. (13) High Point – 12:40 p.m. | truTV
• (1) Houston vs. (16) SIU Edwardsville – 2:00 p.m. | TBS
• (1) Auburn vs. (16) Saint Francis/Alabama State – 2:50 p.m. | CBS
• (7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas – 7:10 p.m. | CBS
• Friday, March 21
• (8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Baylor – 12:15 p.m. | CBS
• (1) Duke vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's/American – 2:50 p.m. | CBS
• (6) Ole Miss vs. (11) North Carolina/San Diego State – 4:05 p.m. | TNT

Second Round (March 22-23)

• Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 – The tournament picks up pace with matchups.

How to watch March Madness live

March Madness will be broadcast across multiple platforms, ensuring fans can catch every moment of the action. The First Four games will be aired on truTV beginning at 6:40 p.m. ET on March18.

Starting on March 20, the First Round (Round of 64) will be split across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV, with a game every hour from noon onwards, ensuring no shortage of excitement.

You can also stream the games live through various online platforms such as NCAA March Madness Live, CBS All Access, and other major sports streaming services, ensuring you don’t miss a single buzzer-beater or upset.