
Sixty-eight men’s and women’s teams will face off this month for a chance at the national championship trophy. Here’s how to stream the games.
WASHINGTON — March Madness is about to begin, marking the start of the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament.
Sixty-eight men’s and women’s teams will face off this month for a chance at the national championship trophy. The teams are announced on Selection Sunday, which falls on Sunday, March 15 this year.
On Sunday, the NCAA selection committee announces the 31 automatic bids to the tournament, as well as the 37 at-large bids that are given to teams that are selected based on performance metrics throughout the season.
How to stream March Madness
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.
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.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.