The NCAA’s start time for the men’s national title…

The NCAA’s start time for the men’s national title game is way too late

Not that this isn’t the norm, but if you’re on Eastern Standard Time, you might want to drink some coffee before the men’s national title game tonight.

Connecticut and San Diego State will not officially start until around 9:30 Eastern. That’s right, 30 minutes before 10 o’clock (on the East Coast) on a Monday evening, with work the next day, meaningful basketball will be played. That is just patently absurd.

I’m aware that fans in other time zones are a bit luckier, and this has a heavy hint of East coast bias. But come on now. This is a championship game. It’s a little ridiculous that even one time zone has to deal with this tip-off time.

Never mind that, hello — one invested fanbase, Connecticut — is in the Eastern time zone!

College basketball fans, especially those in the east, aren’t happy.

Your annual reminder that the NCAA title game's 9:20 PM ET start time is a national disgrace. 🤬 pic.twitter.com/ozDv1buUB3

— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) April 3, 2023

I know I'm not the first person to complain about something like this, but a 9:20 pm start time for the national title game? Really?

— Chris Peak (@PantherLair) April 3, 2023

NCAA: We learned our lesson with the football title game. Let's move it up to a 7:45pm start time.

Also NCAA: Let's keep the March Madness Final super late. 9:20pm.

Boggles my brain.

— Orri Benatar (@obenatar512) April 3, 2023

How nice for the NCAA to start this game at 9:30 at night. Very convenient start time for Connecticut Fans.

Why not just have the title game in Qatar and start it at 5am like the World Cup? What idiots. https://t.co/4ZpajyDdXA

— GPenddak (@GPenddak) April 2, 2023

9:20 pm est is wild for a national title game. I think 8:30 would have been more acceptable or even 9 for both coasts. #NationalChampionship

— Tim Deaner🦅 (@phillybos) April 3, 2023