Conference tournaments are right around the corner, which means that March Madness is almost here! After teams cut down the nets in their own conference tourneys, the official bracket will be released on Selection Sunday. Here’s how to watch the selection show to see if your team made the “Big Dance.”
When Is Selection Sunday for March Madness 2025?
Before the real action begins, the NCAA Tournament kicks off with Selection Sunday. It’s the moment when teams find out who they’ll face, and fans start meticulously filling out their brackets. This year, Selection Sunday falls on March 16.
The men’s tournament bracket will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, while the women’s bracket will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Once the matchups are set, the countdown begins for the First Four and the first round of play just days later.
Here’s the full 2025 Men’s NCAA Tournament Schedule:
- Selection 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 29–30
- Final Four: April 5
- National Championship Game: April 7
And here’s the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule:
- Selection 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: April 4
- National Championship Game: April 6
Where Is March Madness Being Played?
The magic of March Madness unfolds in notable arenas across the country. If you’re looking to experience the tournament live, here’s where each round of the men’s tournament will be hosted.
First Four:
- UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio
First & Second Rounds:
- Chase Center – San Francisco, CA
- Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI
- Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
- Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
- PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC
- CHI Health Center – Omaha, NE
- Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
- Intrust Bank Arena – Wichita, KS
Sweet 16 & Elite Eight:
- East Regional: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
- West Regional: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
- South Regional: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
- Midwest Regional: United Center – Chicago, IL
Final Four & National Championship:
- Alamodome – San Antonio, TX
For the women’s tournament, early-round games take place on college campuses, while the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matches will be held in Birmingham, AL, and Spokane, WA. The Final Four will take place in Tampa, FL.
What Is the First Four?
Before the real madness begins, there’s a warm-up round known as the First Four. This mini-tournament determines the final four teams that officially enter the 64-team bracket. If you love a good underdog story, this is where it starts!
Here’s how it works. Two games feature the four lowest-seeded teams that received at-large bids. These teams didn’t win their conference but were still invited based on their performance and typically receive No. 11 seeds.
The other two games will feature the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers. These teams secured a tournament spot by winning their conference championship and typically enter as No. 16 seeds.
The winners of these games officially advance to the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The 11-seed teams will face the No. 6 seeds, while the 16-seeded teams will take on the No. 1 seeds.
How to Watch and Stream March Madness
Now that you know when and where to tune in, let’s talk about how you can watch every thrilling moment of March Madness.
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For the men’s tournament, coverage will be split across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. If you don’t have cable, don’t worry—streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV will also carry the games. Paramount+ will offer select games, and if you still have an old-school digital antenna, your local CBS affiliate will broadcast many matchups.
For the women’s tournament, every game will be available across ESPN networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ABC.
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