March Madness® 2025 Schedule, How to Watch & NCAA Tournament Info

Get ready, get set, get ready to make that bracket. Yes, hoops fans, March Madness® is almost here. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is roughly three weeks of jaw-dropping upsets and thrilling buzzer-beaters. The Big Dance® is the nation's top 68 top college teams competing in a high-stakes succession of single-elimination games. And, yes, it's the best kind of madness.

Follow the bouncing ball to the National Championship game with the help of our watch-guide. We've pulled together the 2025 March Madness schedule, as well as info on how to watch and stream live games, plus Selection Sunday. Let's get this tipped off.
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When is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is set for Sunday, March 16. It will air live on CBS, and stream live on Paramount+ (with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan only). Selection Sunday marks the official start of March Madness®. On the big day, the tournament bracket is revealed. The nation's 32 conference champions find out where they're seeded, and 36 other teams score at-large invites courtesy the Selection Committee.

When is March Madness®?

March Madness® runs from Selection Sunday through the NCAA championship game. This year's National Championship is scheduled for Monday, April 7. The game will air live on CBS, and stream live on Paramount+ (with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan only).

What is a March Madness® bracket?

A March Madness® bracket is a tree diagram of the March Madness® tournament. It features four branches, representing, respectively, the East Region, South Region, Midwest Region, and West Region, plus a separate section that covers the First Four games. As noted, at the beginning of the tournament, a total of 68 teams are ranked, or seeded. For projections on which teams will make the 2025 bracket, check out Bracketology on CBSSports.com.

What are the First Four games?

The First Four games are the four opening games of the March Madness tournament. The matchups are culled from the tournament's four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers, and its four lowest-seeded at-large teams. The winners of the First Four games move to the regional branches, completing what is known as the Round of 64, meaning there are 64 teams left in the chase for the National Championship. (And that's when the madness really gets going.) Please note: CBS Sports will not broadcast the First Four games.

When is the Final Four® 2025?

This year's Final Four® is scheduled for Saturday, April 5. Another storied step in the March Madness® journey, the Final Four® is the name for the tournament's semifinals round, where just four teams remain. In the Final Four®, the survivors of the East, South, Midwest, and West regions are paired off into two games – two games that determine the two teams that'll play for the National Championship. The games of the 2025 Final Four® will air on CBS, and stream live on Paramount+ (with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan only).
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How to watch and stream March Madness®?

This year's March Madness® will be broadcast in a partnership between CBS Sports and TNT Sports, providing exclusive live coverage of every game in its entirety across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

In general, you can watch and stream March Madness® games via TV providers and platforms that carry the above networks. Per usual, a traditional CBS broadcast can be watched on your TV using cable, satellite, or a digital antenna.

And don't forget: All March Madness® games presented by CBS Sports will air live on CBS, and stream live on Paramount+ (with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan only).

This year, CBS Sports' slate of March Madness® coverage boasts Selection Sunday, select live games from the first round, the second round, and the Sweet 16, one day of live games from the Elite Eight®, plus all the games of the Final Four®, as well as the National Championship.

What is the March Madness® 2025 schedule?

The full 2025 March Madness® schedule is not yet set. The full broadcast and channel assignments are not set, either. See below for a round-by-round outline of the tournament, and check back for updates.

Selection Sunday

• Date: Sunday, March 16
• Time: 6 PM, ET
• Channel: CBS
• Streaming: Paramount+*

First Four

• Dates: Tuesday, March 18-Wednesday, March 19
• Teams: TBD
• Location: UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio

First round

• Dates: Thursday, March 20-Friday, March 21

Second round

• Dates: Saturday, March 22-Sunday, March 23

Sweet 16

• Dates: Thursday, March 27-Friday, March 28

Elite Eight®

• Dates: Saturday, March 29-Sunday, March 30

Final Four®

• Date: Saturday, April 5
• Teams: TBD
• Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
• Channel: CBS Streaming: Paramount+*

National Championship game

• Date: Monday, April 7
• Teams: TBD
• Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
• Channel: CBS Streaming: Paramount+*

*Streaming live on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan only.
 

Who won March Madness® 2024?

The Big East's UConn Huskies, led by coach Dan Hurley, are the back-to-back defending champs in men's college basketball. The Huskies triumphed in the 2023 championship game, and then survived March Madness again in 2024, taking the title with a 75-60 win over the Big Ten's Purdue.
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