The excitement of March Madness is upon us as 68 men’s and women’s teams prepare to compete for the prestigious national championship title this month. Here’s how you can catch all the action live.
WASHINGTON — The anticipation is building as the NCAA Tournament, famously known as March Madness, is set to kick off for both men’s and women’s teams.
This thrilling competition will feature 68 teams battling it out for the coveted national championship trophy. The official lineup of teams will be revealed on Selection Sunday, slated for March 15 this year.
On this day, the NCAA selection committee will disclose the 31 teams that have earned automatic bids to the tournament, alongside 37 at-large teams chosen based on their season performance metrics.
For those eager to follow the men’s tournament, every game will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, as well as their respective digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS has the honor of airing the Final Four and the national championship game this year. Additionally, fans can stream the games through the NCAA’s March Madness Live service.
How to stream March Madness
Meanwhile, the women’s tournament will have every game televised across ESPN’s networks and streaming services. ABC will continue its tradition by airing the championship game for the fourth consecutive year.
How to stream women’s NCAA tournament
Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services. The championship game will be aired on ABC for a fourth straight season.
When does men’s March Madness begin?
The tournament tips off with the First Four on March 17-18 in Dayton, Ohio, with the first round starting March 19 at sites across the country. For the first time, the NCAA will punish teams that do not provide player availability reports. Fines start at $10,000. The reports are intended to to combat betting-related pressure, solicitations and harassment that athletes receive from bettors connected to their playing status.
After the First Four, the first- and second-round games will be played March 19 through 22 in Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Oklahoma City; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; San Diego; St. Louis; and Tampa, Florida.
Sweet 16 games will be played March 26 and 27 in Houston (South), Washington (East), Chicago (Midwest) and San Jose, California (West). The Elite Eight games are from March 28 through March 29.
The Final Four is Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the title game the night of Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
When is the women’s March Madness tournament?
As for the women’s tournament, the First Four games are played March 18 and March 19.
The second week of the tournament will take place March 22 and March 23 at two sites: Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California. The Sweet 16 matchups will take place March 27 and 28, with regional finals March 29 and 30.
The Final Four in Phoenix on Friday, April 3, begins at 7 p.m. Eastern, and the championship game begins at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 5.
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