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When does March Madness start? Dates, teams, full schedule and venues for iconic NCAA tournament
March Madness is one of the most highly anticipated tournaments in basketball, and it starts this weekend Excitement will be building amongst fans ahead of the iconic annual event that will see 68 teams compete to become NCAA Champions. March Madness is just around the cornerGetty In the 85th edition of the tournament last year, UConn won their second consecutive title after beating Purdue 75-60 in the Championship Game. They’re now aiming to become only the second team ever to achieve a March Madness three-peat after UCLA’s seven wins from 1967 to 1973. March Madness: Dates and start times March Madness begins on Sunday, March 16 when fans will find out the bracket for the tournament. Games are then set to start on Tuesday, March 18 and the schedule will run through all the way until Monday, April 7. April 7 is when the Championship game will take place and winners will be crowned. Start times for each game will be confirmed closer to the start date with UK times likely to be late evening or very early morning. The tournament is expected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK on either Sky Sports Mix or Sky Sports Main Event. talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will also be on hand with all the latest. To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM. March Madness is a highlight of the basketball calendarGetty March Madness: Schedule Here’s the current schedule planned for the men’s tournament. Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16 First Four: March 18-19 First round: March 20-21 Second round: March 22-23 Sweet 16: March 27-28 Elite Eight: March 29-30 Final Four: April 5 Championship game: April 7 And here’s the schedule for the women’s tournament. Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16 First Four: March 19-20 First round: March 21-22 Second round: March 23-24 Sweet 16: March 28-29 Elite Eight: March 30-31 Final Four: April 4 Championship game: April 6 Past March Madness winners Last 10 NCAA Champions UConn Huskies – 2024 UConn Huskies – 2023 Kansas Jayhawks – 2022 Baylor Bears – 2021 Virginia Cavaliers- 2019 Villanova Wildcats – 2018 North Carolina Tar Heels – 2017 Villanova Wildcats – 2016 Duke Blue Devils – 2015 UConn Huskies – 2014 March Madness: Venues and locations The tournament will be played at a variety of venues across the USA, with games being played all over the country. The men’s Final Four and NCAA Championship game are going to be played at the same place – the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Here’s every venue where men’s March Madness games will be held: First Four UD Arena – Dayton, Ohio First/Second Round Rupp Arena – Lexington, Kentucky Amica Mutual Pavilion – Providence, Rhode Island Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, Washington State Intrust Bank Arena – Wichita, Kansas Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, Ohio Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin Lenovo Center – Raleigh, North Carolina Sweet 16 and Elite Eight East: Prudential Center – Newark, New Jersey West: Chase Center – San Francisco, California South: State Farm Arena – Atlanta, Georgia Midwest: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Final Four and Championship Game Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas And here are the venues for each women’s March Madness game: First Four TBD First/Second Round TBD Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Legacy Arena – Birmingham, Alabama Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena – Spokane, Washington Final Four and Championship Game Amalie Arena – Tampa, Florida
March Madness is one of the most highly anticipated tournaments in basketball, and it starts this weekend
Excitement will be building amongst fans ahead of the iconic annual event that will see 68 teams compete to become NCAA Champions.
In the 85th edition of the tournament last year, UConn won their second consecutive title after beating Purdue 75-60 in the Championship Game.
They’re now aiming to become only the second team ever to achieve a March Madness three-peat after UCLA’s seven wins from 1967 to 1973.
March Madness: Dates and start times
March Madness begins on Sunday, March 16 when fans will find out the bracket for the tournament.
Games are then set to start on Tuesday, March 18 and the schedule will run through all the way until Monday, April 7.
April 7 is when the Championship game will take place and winners will be crowned.
Start times for each game will be confirmed closer to the start date with UK times likely to be late evening or very early morning.
The tournament is expected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK on either Sky Sports Mix or Sky Sports Main Event.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will also be on hand with all the latest.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
March Madness: Schedule
Here’s the current schedule planned for the men’s tournament.
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16
- First Four: March 18-19
- First round: March 20-21
- Second round: March 22-23
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-30
- Final Four: April 5
- Championship game: April 7
And here’s the schedule for the women’s tournament.
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16
- First Four: March 19-20
- First round: March 21-22
- Second round: March 23-24
- Sweet 16: March 28-29
- Elite Eight: March 30-31
- Final Four: April 4
- Championship game: April 6
Past March Madness winners
Last 10 NCAA Champions
- UConn Huskies – 2024
- UConn Huskies – 2023
- Kansas Jayhawks – 2022
- Baylor Bears – 2021
- Virginia Cavaliers- 2019
- Villanova Wildcats – 2018
- North Carolina Tar Heels – 2017
- Villanova Wildcats – 2016
- Duke Blue Devils – 2015
- UConn Huskies – 2014
March Madness: Venues and locations
The tournament will be played at a variety of venues across the USA, with games being played all over the country.
The men’s Final Four and NCAA Championship game are going to be played at the same place – the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Here’s every venue where men’s March Madness games will be held:
First Four
- UD Arena – Dayton, Ohio
First/Second Round
- Rupp Arena – Lexington, Kentucky
- Amica Mutual Pavilion – Providence, Rhode Island
- Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, Washington State
- Intrust Bank Arena – Wichita, Kansas
- Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, Ohio
- Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado
- Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Lenovo Center – Raleigh, North Carolina
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight
- East: Prudential Center – Newark, New Jersey
- West: Chase Center – San Francisco, California
- South: State Farm Arena – Atlanta, Georgia
- Midwest: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Final Four and Championship Game
- Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
And here are the venues for each women’s March Madness game:
First Four
- TBD
First/Second Round
- TBD
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight
- Legacy Arena – Birmingham, Alabama
- Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena – Spokane, Washington
Final Four and Championship Game
- Amalie Arena – Tampa, Florida
