March Madness: How to watch and what to watch for in the 2025 NCAA Tournament

By Canadian Press on February 25, 2025.

The countdown to March Madness is on.

The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament will begin in just a few weeks. Tens of thousands will fill out those brackets in hopes of winning the office poll or at least a bit of respect after the matchups are set on Selection Sunday.

Who will win it all? Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida are among the favorites at this point.

Get ready: The tournament tips off with the First Four on March 18 and the first round begins March 20.

How can I watch?

Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. CBS will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.

The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.

Who are the favorites?

The top three betting favorites as March approaches (in order) are Auburn, Duke and Houston, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Who is playing?

There are 32 automatic bids that will be filled via league tournaments and they will be combined with 36 at-large picks by the NCAA selection committee. We all find out on Selection Sunday, March 16, when bracket matchups are unveiled.

When are the games?

The First Four is in Dayton, Ohio, on March 18-19 and first- and second-round games March 20-23 stretch from Providence, Rhode Island, to Seattle.

The Sweet 16 weekend will see games March 27-30 in Newark, New Jersey (East Regional), Atlanta (South), Indianapolis (Midwest) and San Francisco (West).

The Final Four is in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5, with the championship game the night of Monday, April 7.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The Associated Press