Andrew Pace
The Final Four is the name for the semifinal round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness. In 2025, the tournament tipped off with the First Four games on March 18-19 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, and ended with the championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on April 7. The games of the Final Four are scheduled to be played in 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the Final Four Tournament in 2025 | April 4, 2025 |
| Location of the 2025 Tournament | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Channels broadcasting the Tournament | CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV |
| Streaming platforms | Paramount+, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV |
| Antenna requirements | A digital antenna strong enough to pick up local ABC and CBS stations |
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What You'll Learn
- The 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament will be held in San Antonio, Texas
- The 2026 Final Four games will be played in Indianapolis, Indiana
- The First Four games are the four opening games of the tournament
- The Final Four is the name for the tournament's semi-final round
- The tournament can be watched on TV or streamed online
The 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament will be held in San Antonio, Texas
The 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament began on March 18, 2025, and concluded on April 7 with the championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
This was the fifth time that San Antonio hosted the Final Four, having previously hosted in 2018. The tournament saw the Southeastern Conference (SEC) break the record for the most bids, with 14 of the 16 teams qualifying. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), on the other hand, had a historically low presence, with only four teams earning bids—the smallest percentage since tournament expansion in 1975.
The 2025 tournament also witnessed the debuts of several champions from different conferences, including the Big South champion High Point, the Big West champion UC San Diego, the Ohio Valley champion SIU Edwardsville, and the Summit League champion Omaha. The First Four games, which are the four opening games of the tournament, saw eight teams compete: the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams. The winners of these games advanced to the main tournament bracket, joining the remaining 60 teams in the chase for the National Championship.
The Final Four round is a highly anticipated stage of the tournament, where only four teams remain. In 2025, the survivors of the East, South, Midwest, and West regions competed in two games to determine which two teams would advance to the National Championship game. The 2025 Final Four featured four #1 seeds: Florida, Duke, Houston, and Auburn. Florida and Houston emerged as the winners of these games and faced off in the championship matchup, with Florida ultimately claiming its third title with a score of 65-63.
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The 2026 Final Four games will be played in Indianapolis, Indiana
The NCAA Men's Final Four tournament is heading to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2026. The games will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4 and April 6, with a National Champion crowned on the final day.
This will be the fourth time Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted the Men's Final Four, having previously done so in 2010, 2015, and 2021. The 2015 tournament set several attendance and viewership records, with a two-session total attendance of 143,387, the highest ever for the stadium.
Prior to Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis hosted the tournament in the RCA Dome in 1991, 1997, 2000, and 2006, and at Market Square Arena in 1980. The city has a rich history with the tournament, having hosted it eight times previously.
The Final Four is the name given to the tournament's semifinal round, where only four teams remain. The winners of the East, South, Midwest, and West regions are paired off into two games, with the victors progressing to the National Championship game.
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The First Four games are the four opening games of the tournament
The First Four games are the four opening games of the March Madness tournament. The First Four games are played on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of the NCAA tournament, marking the official start of March Madness. The First Four games are made up of the tournament's four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and its four lowest-seeded at-large teams. The winners of the First Four games move on to the regional branches, completing what is known as the Round of 64, leaving 64 teams left in the chase for the National Championship.
The First Four games were first played on March 13, 2001, and were initially met with skepticism from analysts. However, the first game was a success, attracting viewers on nights with no other NCAA games. The First Four games were officially adopted in 2011 when the men's tournament expanded to 68 teams, resulting in an expansion of the opening round to four games. The games were initially referred to as the "first-round games", but in 2016, the NCAA rebranded them as the "First Four", a colloquialism that had been used to refer to the tournament semi-finals.
From 2001 to 2010, the tournament featured an opening-round game where the two worst-seeded teams played on the Tuesday after Selection Sunday. With the expansion to 68 teams in 2011, the First Four was created to reduce the number of teams from 68 to 64 for the first round. As of the 2025 tournament, there are 31 automatic bids and 37 at-large selections. The First Four games have traditionally been played at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, except in 2021 when the tournament was held in Indiana due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The First Four games are an important part of the March Madness tournament, providing an opportunity for teams to advance to the regional branches and compete for the National Championship. The games have a significant impact on the tournament's dynamics, with teams striving to secure their place in the Round of 64.
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The Final Four is the name for the tournament's semi-final round
The Final Four is the name given to the semi-final round of the NCAA basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. This is when just four teams remain in the competition. The winners of the First Four games (the four opening games of the tournament) move to the regional branches, completing what is known as the Round of 64. The Final Four then sees the survivors of the East, South, Midwest, and West regions paired off into two games. These two games determine which two teams will play for the National Championship.
In 2024, the Final Four game was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the Connecticut Huskies facing the Alabama Crimson Tide. In 2025, the championship game was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The 2026 Final Four games are scheduled to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
CBS and TBS alternate annually as the exclusive broadcasters of the men's Final Four and NCAA Championship Game. TBS gets the even years, while CBS has the odd years. The women's National Championship Game is broadcast on ABC. The NCAA March Madness Live app has every tournament game, plus replays.
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The tournament can be watched on TV or streamed online
The NCAA Tournament, also known as March Madness, is an annual college basketball tournament featuring teams from across the country. The tournament is known for its excitement and unpredictability, with the field narrowing from 68 teams down to the "Final Four," who compete in the semifinals and then the National Championship game.
For those who want to watch the games on TV, CBS is the main broadcaster, with the majority of the games, including the Final Four and National Championship, airing on this channel. Turner Sports' channels, TBS, TNT, and truTV, will also air a significant number of games throughout the tournament.
Streaming options are also available for those who prefer to watch online. The digital platforms of CBS Sports and Turner Sports, such as March Madness Live, will provide live streams of all the games. This allows viewers to tune in from anywhere, whether they are at home or on the go.
In addition to the official broadcasters, other streaming services may offer access to the tournament. For example, CBSSports.com provides detailed information on the tournament, live streams of select games, and a March Madness TV schedule, allowing viewers to easily find and watch the games that matter most to them.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2025 Final Four basketball tournament is taking place in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2026 Final Four games are scheduled to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The First Four games are the four opening games of the tournament. The matchups are between the tournament's four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and its four lowest-seeded at-large teams. The winners move on to the regional branches, completing what is known as the Round of 64.
The Final Four games can be watched through TV providers such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Paramount+. They can also be watched for free with a digital antenna that can pick up ABC and CBS stations.
