The 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball season may be drawing to a close, but the real drama is just beginning. March Madness—the ultimate battleground for college hoops supremacy—will soon take center stage, setting the stage for an unforgettable finale.
Spanning three action-packed weeks and covering every corner of the United States, the tournament brings together the finest teams from across the country, all vying for the coveted national championship.
A total of 68 men's and women's teams will enter the win-or-go-home format, where just six victories separate a squad from etching its name into history. From breakout stars to Cinderella stories, from buzzer-beaters to bracket-busting upsets, this tournament delivers the kind of drama that keeps fans glued to their screens.
And with millions attempting to craft the first-ever perfect bracket, the stakes have never been higher.
But just when will all the action take place, and what phases will unfold throughout the event? GOAL brings you all the details to follow the 2025 NCAA March Madness, including the tournament outline, how teams qualify, and what you can expect.
When does the 2025 March Madness Tip Off?
- Men's NCAA Tournament: Tuesday, March 18
- Women's NCAA Tournament: Wednesday, March 19
As the name suggests, March Madness gets underway in March, right after the conference tournaments wrap up and the official bracket is unveiled on Selection Sunday.
That said, some might argue that the madness begins even earlier, as conference tournaments serve as a gateway to the Big Dance. For one-bid leagues, mid-major hopefuls, and even power conference contenders, these tournaments provide the last chance to punch a ticket to the 68-team showdown.
The men's NCAA Tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 18, with the First Four, where eight teams battle for a spot in the main draw. Meanwhile, the women's NCAA Tournament follows suit on Wednesday, March 19, kicking off another thrilling chapter in the road to a national championship.
Selection Sunday date, time
- Date: Sunday, March 16, 2025
- Men's tournament: 6 pm ET (CBS)
- Women's tournament: 7 pm ET (ESPN)
Selection Sunday is the moment when college basketball fans finally discover which men's and women's NCAA Division I teams have secured a spot in the prestigious March Madness tournament, setting the stage for an electrifying chase for the national championship.
This year, Selection Sunday is set for March 16, as confirmed by the NCAA. The highly anticipated bracket reveal happens just two days before the men's tournament tips off and three days ahead of the women's edition, officially marking the start of the madness.
The moment Selection Sunday wraps up on March 16, fans will waste no time furiously filling out their brackets, predicting every twist and turn of the 2025 men's NCAA Tournament. Just two days later, the action gets underway with the First Four, setting the stage for the madness to unfold.
All 68 teams, including those battling through the First Four, will learn their placements across the four regional brackets, mapping out the daunting journey toward the Final Four, where the ultimate quest for college basketball glory reaches its climax.
How to watch 2024 NCAA March Madness
In the United States, coverage of the 2025 NCAA March Madness is due to take place across various channels. CBS is set to broadcast through the Regional Finals, except for the First Four, which will be carried exclusively by TruTV.
TNT will meanwhile cover the First and Second Rounds, while TBS will broadcast from the First and Second Rounds, Regional Finals, Final Four, and championship match.
Below is a breakdown of which channel will show which event by round. Further information on where to stream the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament can be found here.
2024 NCAA March Madness channels
Round | Channel |
|---|---|
First Four | TruTV |
First and Second Rounds | CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV |
Regional Semi-finals and Finals | CBS, TBS |
Final Four and Championship | TBS |
Who will compete in the 2025 NCAA March Madness?
68 collegiate teams will compete in the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, with 32 teams entering automatically. These berths are given to teams that have won a conference tournament during the collegiate season.
The remaining 36 berths are issued "at-large" by the NCAA Selection Committee. This typically rewards other outstanding teams with a place in the bracket. The Selection Committee subsequently seeds all teams and places them 1 to 68.
Eight teams - the four lowest-ranked sides from both the automatic qualifiers and the teams chosen by the Selection Committee - compete in the preliminary First Four, with the four winners advancing to the main bracket of the tournament.
This is subsequently split into the First and Second Rounds, where teams are drawn on a subregional basis. Winners progress to the Regional Semi-Finals and Finals, known as the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.
Final winners progress to the Final Four, which forms the National Semi-finals and the National Championship game.
Men's full 2025 March Madness schedule
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16
- First Four: March 18-19
- First round: March 20-21
- Second round: March 22-23
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-20
- Final Four: April 5
- NCAA championship game: April 7
Where will the men's tournament games be played?
ROUND | CITY | VENUE | DATES | HOST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First Four | Dayton, Ohio | UD Arena | March 18-19 | University of Dayton |
First/Second | Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena | March 20-22 | University of Kentucky |
First/Second | Providence, RI | Amica Mutual Pavilion | March 20-22 | Providence College |
First/Second | Seattle, WA | Climate Pledge Arena | March 21-23 | University of Washington |
First/Second | Wichita, KS | Intrust Bank Arena | March 20-22 | Wichita State University |
First/Second | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse | March 21-23 | Mid-American Conference |
First/Second | Denver, CO | Ball Arena | March 20-22 | Mountain West Conference |
First/Second | Milwaukee, WI | Fiserv Forum | March 21-23 | Marquette University |
First/Second | Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center | March 21-23 | North Carolina State University |
East Regional | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center | March 27-29 | Seton Hall University |
West Regional | San Francisco, CA | Chase Center | March 27-29 | Pac-12 Conference |
South Regional | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena | March 28-30 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Midwest Regional | Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium | March 28-30 | IUPUI/Horizon League |
Women's full 2025 March Madness schedule
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16
- First Four: March 19-20
- First round: March 21-22
- Second round: March 23-24
- Sweet 16: March 28-29
- Elite Eight: March 30-31
- Final Four: Friday, April 4
- Championship: Sunday, April 6
Where will the women's tournament games be played?
First Four, first-round and second-round games will be played at on-campus sites to be determined.
ROUND | CITY | VENUE | DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
Sweet 16/Elite Eight | Birmingham, Alabama | Legacy Arena | March 28-31 |
Sweet 16/Elite Eight | Spokane, Washington | Spokane Arena | March 28-31 |
FAQs
Getty Images SportWhat is the NCAA March Madness?
The NCAA March Madness is the informal name given to the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball tournament, which will decide the 2023-24 season champion.
The name reportedly has its roots in the Illinois high school basketball scene but has since become synonymous with the bracketed competition played out by college teams as they compete for the top prize at the end of the campaign.
Who are the defending champions ahead of NCAA March Madness?
UConn cemented its dominance in 2024, securing back-to-back national titles—and its sixth overall— with a commanding 75-60 victory over Purdue in the championship clash. Tristen Newton stole the spotlight, earning Most Outstanding Player honors after delivering a stellar performance with 20 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in the title game.
On the women’s side, South Carolina added a third national championship to its storied history, toppling Iowa 87-75 in the final. Despite another dazzling campaign led by Caitlin Clark, Iowa fell just short once again, settling for runner-up honors for the second straight season.