Kon Knueppel and the Duke Blue Devils will play this week during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2025 NCAA tournament begins today! This year’s tournament will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV on the men’s side and ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNews on the women’s. There are 68 teams competing in the First Four and First Round in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, and we’ve got the complete schedule, featuring every matchup and where you can tune in to watch. Here’s everything you need to know about March Madness, including how to watch the First Four and first round games this week.
Dates: Mar. 18-22
TV channel(s): CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews
Streaming: Paramount+, Max, DirecTV, Fubo
The NCAA tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, begins today (Tuesday, March 18) with the first of the men’s First Four games. The men’s first-round games are slated for March 20-21, while the women’s first round will be on March 21-22.
Games will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. The women’s NCAA tournament will air across the ESPN suite — so ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNews.
Don’t have cable? Don’t worry. You can stream the men’s games easily with a subscription to Paramount+ and Max, or a live TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo or Sling. The women’s games will also be accessible via a live TV streaming service that includes the ESPN suite.
All times Eastern
Tuesday, March 18
Alabama State vs. St. Francis, 6:40 p.m. (truTV, Max)
North Carolina vs. San Diego State, 9:10 p.m. (truTV, Max)
Wednesday, March 19
Mount St. Mary’s vs. American, 6:40 p.m. (truTV, Max)
Xavier vs. Texas, 9:10 p.m. (truTV, Max)
Wednesday, March 19
Iowa State vs. Princeton, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
UC San Diego vs. Southern, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Thursday, March 20
Columbia vs. Washington, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
High Point vs. William & Mary, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Thursday, March 20
No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton, 12:15 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point, 12:40 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana, 1:30 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, 2 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Saint Francis/Alabama St., 2:50 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese, 3:15 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU, 4:05 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia, 4:35 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford, 6:50 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale, 7:25 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake, 7:35 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State, 9:25 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 15 Omaha, 9:45 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego, 10 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington, 10:10 p.m. (truTV, Max)
Friday, March 21
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor, 12:15 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris, 12:40 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb, 1:30 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State, 2 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s/American, 2:50 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt, 3:15 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 North Carolina/San Diego State, 4:05 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 4:35 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State, 6:50 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy, 7:10 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico, 7:25 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron, 7:35 p.m. (truTV, Max)
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier/Texas, 9:45 p.m. (TNT, Max)
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant, 10 p.m. (TBS, Max)
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty, 10:10 p.m. (truTV, Max)
Friday, March 21
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin State, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 UC San Diego/Southern U., 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, March 22
No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State, 1 p.m. (ABC)
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/Washington, 2 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 FGCU, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 1 Southern California vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro, 3 p.m. (ABC)
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton, 7:15 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 High Point/William & Mary, 9:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Max, aka “the one to watch,” has select live sports available through its Bleacher Report Sports add-on, which is included free of charge for ad-free Max subscribers. (If you subscribe to Max’s ad-supported plan, you should be able to access the B/R add-on content until March 30).
On top of March Madness games on TBS, TNT and TruTV, Max has buzzy shows including The White Lotus, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Dune: Prophecy and more.
Ad-supported Max starts at $10/month. The standard plan (which includes B/R Sports free of charge) costs $17/month.
Paramount+ has two tiers available: an $8/month ad-supported tier and a $13/month premium tier that’s ad-free and includes live access to your local CBS channel (and access to Showtime), which you’ll need to stream select March Madness games.
Right now, Paramount+ is still offering a free trial — so new subscribers could sign up to watch Selection Sunday and the First Four, plus check out the rest of the Paramount+ library free for seven days.
Sling doesn’t offer a free trial these days, and March Madness lasts longer than your standard trial would. It’s still a solid option to catch most games in the tournament. Emphasis on most, because one big blindspot for Sling is that it doesn’t carry CBS.
That said, for $45 for your first month of Sling Orange + Blue and the Sports Extra add-on, you can catch all the games on TBS, TNT, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.
$48 for your first month at Sling
- Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (ESPN)
- First Four: March 19-20 (ESPN2, ESPNU)
- First round: March 21-22 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)
- Second round: March 23-24 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)
- Sweet 16: March 28-29 (ESPN, ESPN2)
- Elite Eight: March 30-31 (ESPN)
- Final Four: Friday, April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ESPN, ESPN+)
- NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ABC2, ESPN3, ESPN+)
- Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (CBS)
- First Four: March 18-19 (TruTV)
- First round: March 20-21 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
- Second round: March 22-23 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
- Sweet 16: March 27-28 (CBS, TBS)
- Elite Eight: March 29-30 (CBS, TBS)
- Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
- NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
