College campuses across the nation are in the midst of a hoops frenzy. It’s time for March Madness once again, one of the best times of the year to be a basketball fan. It all gets underway with the pre-event Selection Sunday on March 16. We’ll all be busy burning the midnight oil once again, studying hard, all believing we are top of the class Bracketology students. Only time will tell as the weeks and rounds unfold. One thing is guaranteed, though: non-stop excitement until the NCAA Basketball champions are crowned at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Monday, April 7.
The 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament will again be a single-elimination competition. Out of 355 eligible college outfits, 68 will participate in the tournament. Since 2022, 32 of the 68 qualified by winning their individual conference tournaments. The remaining 36 sides are decided by a selection committee (NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee). So even though some of the bigger/well-known teams may fail to win their conference tournaments, they know they are very likely/guaranteed to receive a wildcard/at-large berth on Selection Sunday. The Selection Committee also seeds the field from 1 to 68.
UConn romped to a 75-60 victory against Purdue in Glendale, Arizona, to claim the NCAA title for a second successive year in 2024. It was the University of Connecticut's, a.k.a the Huskies’, sixth championship win in total. In reaching that total, they became the joint third-best college side in the history of the NCAA Championships, which date back to 1939. However, with four of last year’s starters selected in the 2024 NBA Draft and an injury sidelining talented freshman Liam McNeeley, they are deemed as long-shots by the oddsmakers to become the first side to three-peat since UCLA romped to seven titles (1967-1973).
Of the other sides with 5+ championship title wins Duke looks to have the best chance of going all the way again. They’ve lost just once in their past 24 matches and have been strolling to victory recently. UCLA tops the all-time winners’ chart with 11 crowns, but they’ve not gone the distance since 1995 and are ranked bigger outsiders than UConn.
Sit back, enjoy and expect the unexpected over the coming weeks. The fact that 19 different teams have reached the last five NCAA Tournament Final Four stages shows how open the competition can be. Let GOAL give you all the vital information you need for this year’s March Madness, including how you can watch every match live and what the tournament schedule looks like.
How to watch NCAA March Madness 2025
Getty ImagesCBS and Turner Sports have agreed to an eight-year media rights extension to continue broadcasting the NCAA men’s basketball tournament through 2032. Under the extended deal, CBS and TBS will continue to alternate coverage of the Final Four each year, and for the 2025 edition, it's CBS' turn to screen the curtain-closing match-ups.
All the games airing on CBS will also be available on the streaming service Paramount+. As well as the Final Four and National Championship games, which include numerous match-ups throughout the first round, second round, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight. You can watch all of these from any Paramount+ app on your smart TV, laptop, and mobile device. All the games are available, no matter if you're subscribed to the Paramount+ Essential package at $7.99/month (or $59.99/year) or Paramount+ with SHOWTIME at $12.99/month (or $119.99/year).
Sling TV is the best option for streaming March Madness, offering an affordable way to watch all the action. While Fubo includes CBS, it’s missing TBS, TNT, and truTV—key channels for the tournament. By pairing Sling TV’s budget-friendly plan with Fubo’s free trial, fans can get complete coverage of every game. Without the trial, fuboTV costs $74.99 per month.
The second best streaming service that will let you watch some of the March Madness matches is Fubo. fuboTV is one of the best options for streaming sports, but it does have some gaps in its college basketball coverage, as it’s missing TBS, TNT, and truTV. However, it does include CBS, so fans can combine fuboTV’s free trial with Sling TV’s affordable plan to get full March Madness coverage. Without the trial, fuboTV costs $74.99 per month. For avid sports fans, Fubo is the ultimate choice as it also provides access to other popular sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL & MLS. International soccer fans can also enjoy some of the world’s best leagues, such as the Premier League and La Liga. Most Fubo plans allow you to stream on up to 10 devices simultaneously.
When does NCAA March Madness 2025 take place?
Getty ImagesThe 86th annual edition of the NCAA tournament, or March Madness as it’s fondly known, will begin on Tuesday, March 18, with the ‘First Four’ clashes and conclude with the Championship game on Monday, April 7, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
NCAA March Madness Tournament Schedule
The 2025 March Madness tournament starts with Selection Sunday on March 16, when the 68 teams playing in the 2025 NCAA tournament will be confirmed and announced, along with the seedings structure. Check out the round-by-round schedule below:
Round/Phase | Date | Network | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
First Four: | March 18-19 | TruTV | Sling TV |
First round: | March 20-21 | CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV | Paramount+ / Sling TV / Fubo |
Second round: | March 22-23 | CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV | Paramount+ / Sling TV / Fubo |
Sweet 16: | March 27-28 | CBS, TBS, and TruTV | Paramount+ / Sling TV / Fubo |
Elite Eight: | March 29-30 | CBS, TBS, and TruTV | Paramount+ / Sling TV / Fubo |
Final Four: | April 5 | CBS | Paramount+ / Fubo |
NCAA championship game: | April 7 | CBS | Paramount+ / Fubo |