When does March Madness start? 2025 NCAA Tournament schedules, venues for men, women

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is about to take over the sports world, with college basketball’s March Madness just days away.

The men’s and women’s tournament brackets will be announced on Selection Sunday, with two 68-team fields being laid out. There’s nothing quite like March Madness, with potentially season-defining games stacking up day after day. Cinderella teams will emerge, potential dynasties will come to a sudden halt, and drama is guaranteed.

For some — we’re looking at you, bubble teams and surprise conference-tournament champions — the madness has already started. For the rest of us, it’s a few more days before we’re staring at brackets, hoping for a major upset or fretting over the hopes of a favorite team.

Here’s what to know about the March Madness schedule, including the dates for both tournaments and Selection Sunday.

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When is Selection Sunday? March Madness bracket announcements

The brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments will be announced via selection shows on Sunday, March 16.

The men’s 68-team field will be revealed on CBS, with coverage set for 6 p.m. ET. The women’s selection show will come up shortly thereafter, with ESPN broadcasting the bracket show at 8 p.m. ET. Both selections shows can also be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Watch the March Madness bracket reveal shows on Fubo

When does 2025 NCAA Tournament begin?

Both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments begin shortly after Selection Sunday.

On the men’s side, “First Four” games will be played on March 18-19 at the University of Dayton’s UD Arena. The women’s tournament will commence with “First Four” contests on March 19-20, with higher-seeded teams hosting.

NCAA basketball tournament 2025: Dates for each round

Men’s tournament

• First Four: March 18 – 19
• Round of 64: March 20 – 21
• Round of 32: March 22 – 23
• Sweet 16: March 27 – 28
• Elite Eight: March 29 – 30
• Final Four: April 5
• NCAA Championship: April 7

Women’s tournament

• First Four: March 19 – 20
• Round of 64: March 21 – 22
• Round of 32: March 23 – 24
• Sweet 16: March 28 – 29
• Elite Eight: March 30 – 31
• Final Four: April 4
• NCAA Championship: April 6

March Madness: Who is hosting each round?

Men’s tournament

• First Four: University of Dayton
• Round of 64: University of Kentucky; Providence College; University of Washington; Wichita State University; Rocket Arena in Cleveland; Ball Arena in Denver; Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee; Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
• Round of 32: University of Kentucky; Providence College; University of Washington; Wichita State University; Rocket Arena in Cleveland; Ball Arena in Denver; Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee; Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
• Sweet 16: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey; Chase Center in San Francisco; State Farm Arena in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• Elite Eight: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey; Chase Center in San Francisco; State Farm Arena in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• Final Four: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
• NCAA Championship: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

Women’s tournament

• First Four: TBD/top seeds will host
• Round of 64: TBD/top seeds will host
• Round of 32: TBD/top seeds will host
• Sweet 16: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington
• Elite Eight: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington
• Final Four: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
• NCAA Championship: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

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