Look, the Super Bowl is great. Amazing, even. I’ve long been on the bandwagon campaigning for the Monday after the game to be a holiday.
But, for my money, the best moment of the sports year comes in March.
And it isn’t even close.
The NCAA tournament, better known as “March Madness,” captivates the country every year, as everyone scrambles to fill out the perfect bracket (you won’t) and morph into fans of schools they’d never even heard of before the tournament (zero problem with that, jump onto any bandwagon you want).
There’s some magic to it. The fact that the games start during the work week, the propensity for major upsets, the expectation that something crazy is going to happen … that’s unmatched by any other sporting event in the country.
Which is why you don’t want to miss a single second of the action. But don’t worry, we’re going to break down all the key information you need to know for March Madness.
When Does the NCAA Tournament Start?
Selection Sunday, where the full brackets are revealed, is Sunday, March 16. The men’s bracket reveal broadcast will air on CBS at 6 p.m. ET. ESPN will unveil the women’s bracket at 8 p.m. ET.
The men’s First Four games are March 18 and 19, with the first round taking place on March 20 and 21. The women begin a day later, with the First Four on March 19 and 20 and the first round running on March 21 and 22.
Men's NCAA Tournament Start Date and Schedule
The men’s tournament has numerous host cities, including Dayton, Ohio, which is the only host of First Four games. Other host cities rotate yearly. First-round hosts in 2025 will stretch across the nation, with San Francisco being the farthest west and Providence is the farthest east.
San Antonio hosts the men’s Final Four.
Men's March Madness Key Dates
- Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 16 on CBS
- 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 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
- NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Women's NCAA Tournament Start Date and Schedule
The women’s tournament differs from the men’s in that the games all take place on campus until the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds. Those games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington. The Final Four games are being hosted by Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena.
Women's March Madness Key Dates
- Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 16 on ESPN
- 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 at 7 p.m. ET with the second semifinal starting 30 minutes after the first game ends. Both will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
- NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, hosted at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
What is the NIT?
The NIT, facetiously referred to as the “Not In Tournament” tournament, is actually the “National Invitational” tournament.
The NIT features a field of 32 teams, all of which missed the cut in the NCAA tournament. Games are played on campus at the arena of the higher seed until the Final Four, which takes place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Occurring yearly since 1938, the NIT has been won by St. John’s a record five times (the NCAA vacated the Red Storm’s 2003 victory).
When Does the NIT Start?
The first round of the NIT begins on Tuesday, March 18–19. The second round will take place on March 22–23. The quarterfinals will be played on March 25–26. The Final Four games are on April 1 and the NIT championship is on April 3.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Does March Madness Start? Tipoff Date for Men's and Women's Tournaments, NIT.
