Amanda Knapp
March Madness refers to the annual men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I basketball tournaments held in March. The term March Madness was first used in reference to basketball in 1939 by an Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter, but it only became associated with the NCAA tournament in 1982 when CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during his coverage. The 2025 tournament features 68 teams, 31 of which automatically qualified by winning their respective conference tournaments, while the remaining 37 were chosen by a 12-person committee.
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What You'll Learn
History of March Madness
March Madness is an informal term for the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's and women's basketball championship tournaments. The single-elimination tournaments begin each March and consist of fields of 68 teams that qualify either by winning their conference title or by being chosen by the NCAA's selection committee.
The first men's tournament was held in 1939 but was overshadowed for its first two decades by the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which was considered more prestigious. The NIT was founded a year before the NCAA tournament and was held in New York City at Madison Square Garden. Because New York was the press centre of the US, the NIT received more coverage than the NCAA tournament. Teams often competed in both tournaments during the first decade, but the NCAA soon banned teams from doing so.
The tournament size varied from as little as 8 to as many as 53 teams until 1985, when it was expanded to 64 teams. In 2011, the tournament was expanded again to 68 teams. The first women's tournament was held in 1982 with 32 teams, which expanded to 64 in 1994 and 68 in 2022.
The Duke men's basketball program became synonymous with March Madness in the mid-1980s. The Blue Devils had success in the NCAA tournament before then, but it wasn't until Duke hired Mike Krzyzewski as head coach in 1980 that the school became a mainstay in the tournament. Krzyzewski won 1,129 games over 42 seasons at Duke, including 101 victories in the NCAA tournament. Those tournament wins amounted to 13 Final Four appearances and five national championships.
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Teams and seeding
March Madness refers to the annual NCAA basketball tournament, which includes both men's and women's college basketball tournaments. The 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket was officially set with 68 teams, with Auburn being the No. 1 overall seed and the top seed in the South Region. Duke, Houston, and Florida were the other No. 1 seeds in the East, Midwest, and West, respectively.
In the men's tournament, the SEC placed a record 14 teams in the field, including powerhouse programs like the Duke Blue Devils, who were named a No. 1 seed for the 15th time. Other notable seeds in the men's tournament include Kansas and UConn, who were given No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, respectively, and North Carolina, who received a No. 11 seed, their lowest seed ever.
The women's tournament also features some strong contenders, with UCLA, USC, and UConn earning No. 1 seeds. South Carolina, the defending national champions, received a No. 1 seed as well and will look to repeat their undefeated season from last year. Other top seeds in the women's tournament include Texas and TCU, with UConn and LSU also expected to be strong contenders.
The men's tournament begins with "first four" games, followed by the round of 64, while the women's tournament starts a day later, with the first games on Wednesday and the round of 64 beginning on Friday.
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Brackets and predictions
In 2024, experts predicted that UConn would win the tournament, becoming the first back-to-back national champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. They highlighted the team's ability to win in different ways, as well as their key contributors, who could step up during a title run. UConn was also the betting favourite. However, some experts chose to put their faith in Purdue, citing their improvements since the previous year and the potential for a great story if they won after their embarrassing first-round loss in 2023.
In 2025, the four No. 1 seeds for the men's tournament were Duke, Florida, Houston, and Auburn, with Auburn grabbing the top overall seed. Florida was the betting favourite, with Duke and Auburn close behind. In the women's tournament, No. 5 seed Alabama faced a challenge from No. 11 seed Green Bay in the opening round but advanced with a final score of 81-67. No. 10 South Dakota State also beat No. 7 Oklahoma State 74-68, setting up a second-round matchup with No. 1 seed UConn. In the men's second round, No. 10 Arkansas beat No. 2 St. John's, and No. 1 Houston narrowly prevailed over No. 8 Gonzaga 81-76.
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Live updates and scores
On Day 1 of March Madness, No. 12 seed McNeese toppled No. 5 seed Clemson 69-67 in the first round. The No. 4 seed Boilermakers outlasted No. 13 seed High Point 75-63. Both No. 1 seeds, Houston and Auburn, cruised to comfortable wins. Arkansas also won, pulling away from No. 7 Kansas in the final three minutes. Gonzaga blew out Georgia, moving up to No. 8. UCLA easily defeated Utah State. Michigan survived UC-San Diego, winning 68-65. Texas A&M beat Yale 80-71.
On Day 4 of March Madness, Florida beat UConn 77-75, snapping UConn's 13-game tournament winning streak. Arizona made the second-largest comeback by a Big 12 team in an NCAA tournament game since 2011, defeating Oregon. Ole Miss advanced to its first Sweet 16 since 2001, beating Iowa State. Alabama rolled over Saint Mary's, shutting down two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year Augustas Marčiulionis.
Other highlights from the tournament include St. John's and Wisconsin falling in the first day of the second round. No. 1 seeds Auburn, Houston, and Duke advanced to the Sweet 16, as did No. 2 Tennessee and No. 4 Maryland.
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How to watch
To watch March Madness, you can tune in to TV channels such as CBS, TruTV, TNT, and TBS. You can also stream the games online via NCAA March Madness Live, which is available on almost any device, or the March Madness Live App using your TV provider.
- 12:15 p.m. — No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton (CBS)
- 12:40 p.m. — No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point (TruTV)
- 1:30 p.m. — No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana (TNT)
- 2 p.m. — No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville (TBS)
- 2:50 p.m. — No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State (CBS)
- 3:15 p.m. — No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
Some must-see games include Clemson vs McNeese, where the Cowboys could pull off an upset, and Drake vs Missouri, where the pace of the game could be a deciding factor.
For the women's tournament, you can catch up on live updates via CNN. For example, No. 5 Alabama vs No. 11 Green Bay in the opening round, where Alabama won 81-67.
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