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The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion. The tournament, which consists of 68 teams, is played mostly during March. The 2025 March Madness tournament began with Selection Sunday on March 16 and ended with the Final Four and the national championship game on April 5 and 7. The games can be watched on TV through providers like Hulu + Live TV, ESPN+, and Paramount+, or on streaming platforms like the March Madness Live app. Outside of the NCAA, The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is also an annual basketball tournament that takes place during the summer, with the 12th edition of the tournament occurring from July 18 to August 3, 2025.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Tournament | March Madness, The Big Dance, TBT (The Basketball Tournament) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Dates | July 18th - August 3rd, 2025 |
| Teams | 64-68 |
| Locations | Wichita, Kansas City, Louisville, West Virginia, Syracuse |
| Channels | Hulu + Live TV, ESPN+, Paramount+, TBS, TNT, truTV, ABC, CBS, CBS Sports |
| Streaming Platforms | NCAA March Madness Live app, Max (B/R Sports hub), Hulu + Live TV, ESPN+, Paramount+ |
| Winners | SEC's Florida Gators |
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What You'll Learn
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, is an annual college basketball tournament featuring 68 teams in a single-elimination championship. The tournament begins with Selection Sunday, where the teams are selected and seeded, and concludes with the Final Four and the national championship game.
In 2025, March Madness began on Sunday, March 16, with the First Four, marking the official start of the tournament. The tournament progressed through various rounds, including the Elite Eight, where specific game schedules and channels for each men's basketball contest are announced.
The Elite Eight games in 2025 included matchups such as West Regional No. 1 seed Florida versus No. 3 Texas Tech and East Regional No. 1 seed Duke against No. 2 Alabama. These games were aired on television, with specific channels and start times communicated in advance.
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament culminates in the Final Four and the national championship game. In 2025, these concluding games were held on April 5 and 7, with the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, serving as the venue.
March Madness is a highly anticipated event in college basketball, with fans eagerly awaiting the release of schedules, brackets, and game times. The tournament showcases the talents of top college basketball players and provides an exciting platform for teams to compete for the coveted national championship title.
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March Madness
The tournament begins with Selection Sunday, a broadcast event during which the teams are revealed and bracket matchups are determined. This is followed by the First Four—four "play-in" games between eight lower-ranked teams, the winners of which advance to the tournament's main bracket of 64 teams.
The tournament progresses in rounds, with teams vying to advance through the First Four, First Round (round of 64), Second Round (round of 32), Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four. The Final Four round features two national semifinal games, with the winning teams advancing to the National Championship game to determine the NCAA Men's Basketball champion.
In 2025, March Madness began with Selection Sunday on March 16, with the Final Four and National Championship game taking place on April 5 and 7, respectively.
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The Basketball Tournament (TBT)
TBT typically features a 64-team field, although the number of participating teams has varied over the years, ranging from 24 teams in 2020 to 97 teams in 2015. The teams are arranged by the general manager, sometimes based on the college basketball program the players competed for. The tournament follows a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules, with games played in 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves.
The championship prize money was initially $500,000 in 2014 but has since increased, with the winners receiving $1 million in recent years. The prize money is awarded to the winning team's personnel, and there are also smaller prizes for fans who submit the top-scoring bracket entries. In addition to the cash prizes, TBT offers teams the opportunity to reunite with alumni and reconnect with fans, strengthening the bond with their alma mater.
TBT has attracted the participation of current and former NBA and WNBA players, such as Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Nikki Teasley, and Greg Oden. NBA players have also shown their support for the tournament by serving as boosters for different teams. Outside of the basketball court, TBT has expanded into other sports, launching The Soccer Tournament (TST) in 2023.
The 12th edition of TBT, taking place in 2025, will be held across eight regions throughout the United States, including Charlottesville, Virginia, for the first time. The tournament is scheduled to run from July 18 to August 3, with tickets going on sale on May 6.
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Streaming services
If you're interested in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, there are several streaming options available. The NCAA March Madness Live app offers every tournament game, plus replays, but you'll need to log in with your cable, satellite, or live TV streaming provider info after a free three-hour preview. The app is available on a range of devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and Roku. Max (formerly HBO Max) is another option, streaming all March Madness games that air on TBS, TNT, and truTV through its B/R Sports hub. However, a Max Standard or Premium plan is required to access live sports.
For the women's tournament, Hulu + Live TV offers a comprehensive plan that includes every channel of the women's and men's tournaments, along with ESPN+ at no extra cost, for $81.99 per month. ESPN+ is also a cheap standalone option, offering select ABC and ESPN game simulcasts of the women's tournament and the men's National Invitation Tournament for only $11.99 per month. Paramount+ is another affordable choice, as its plan with SHOWTIME includes live CBS games and additional CBS Sports coverage.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, free trials are available on several streaming services. DIRECTV STREAM offers a five-day free trial, while Fubo offers a seven-day trial, both of which can get you through the early rounds of the women's tournament. YouTube TV also occasionally offers a free trial, which could give you access to the Final Four and Championship Game. Additionally, if you have an antenna, you can watch the games on your local CBS station for free.
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History of the tournament
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament that determines the men's college basketball national champion of Division I, the top level of play in the NCAA. The tournament has been held annually since 1939, except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first tournament was won by Oregon, who defeated Ohio State 46-33 in the championship game. It was organised by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, before control was handed to the NCAA in 1941. In the early years, the tournament was considered less important than the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a New York City-based event. Teams could compete in both tournaments, and three that did so, Utah in 1944, Kentucky in 1949, and the City College of New York (CCNY) in 1949-50, won the NCAA Tournament. CCNY remains the only college basketball team to have won both tournaments.
By the mid-1950s, the NCAA Tournament had become the more prestigious of the two events. The tournament field grew from eight teams initially to sixty-five by 2001, and sixty-eight as of 2011. Teams can gain invitations by winning a conference championship or receiving an at-large bid from a 10-person committee. The semifinals, known as the Final Four, are held in a different city each year, along with the championship game. The tournament has become one of the greatest annual sporting events in the US, known for its upsets of favoured teams.
The 2025 tournament will take place across various regions from July 18th to August 3rd, with tickets going on sale on May 6th.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2025 NCAA basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, started on March 16 with Selection Sunday and ended with the Final Four and the national championship game on April 5 and 7.
The 12th edition of TBT will take place from July 18 to August 3, 2025.
The NCAA tournament games start at different times depending on the day and the teams that are playing. For example, on Saturday, March 29, 2025, West Regional No. 1 seed Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech was played at 6:09 p.m. ET.
