March Madness, the NCAA Division I men’s single-elimination basketball tournament, is one of the best events in sports. Millions of people will be tuning in, making brackets and devoting countless hours this month to the seven rounds of madness.
The arrival of the tournament brings excitement across the country. While college basketball isn’t the most popular collegiate sport, hoop fanatics and non-sports fans are both swept up in the wild things that transpire on the court every March.
With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about March Madness 2023.
College basketball games today: NCAA basketball schedule
When is Selection Sunday?
Selection Sunday 2023 is on Sunday, March 12. At 6 p.m. EST, dozens of college basketball programs will gather around televisions and projectors to see the unveiling of the 68-team bracket for the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
- Date: Sunday, March 12
- Time: 6 PM ET
- TV: CBS
When is Selection Sunday for women’s basketball?
March Madness is also an opportunity to see the best teams and best players in women’s college basketball. Fittingly, Selection Sunday for the women’s March Madness tournament is on Sunday, March 12.
- Date: Sunday, March 12
- Time: 8 PM ET
- TV: ESPN
When does March Madness start?
The first games of the 2023 March Madness tournament will tip-off on Tuesday, March 14 with the first two games of the First Four matchups.
Adopted for the NCAA tournament, the First Four is a play-in round to determine which teams earn the four last bids in the tournament.
Here is everything you need to know about the First Four play-in tournament.
First Four schedule 2023
| Date: | Game: | Time | TV | Location |
| Tuesday, March 14 | TBD | TBD | truTV | UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) |
| Tuesday, March 14 | TBD | TBD | truTV | UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) |
| Wednesday, March 15 | TBD | TBD | truTV | UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) |
| Wednesday, March 15 | TBD | TBD | truTV | UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) |
The first round of March Madness starts on Thursday, March 16.
March Madness schedule
Here is the 2023 NCAA tournament schedule for men’s college basketball. Until Selection Sunday, the matchups won’t be known.
- Selection Sunday: March 12, 6 PM ET
- First Four: March 14-15
- First Round: March 16-17
- Second Round: March 18-19
- Sweet 16: March 23-24
- Elite Eight: March 25-26
- Final Four: April 1
- NCAA championship game: April 3
NCAA revenue topped $1.1 billion in 2022
What channel is March Madness on?
The NCAA Tournament is broadcasted on multiple channels with multiple networks holding different broadcasting rights. Because of the vast number of games in the first two rounds, they are divided up among four networks. Here’s where you can find
- First Four: truTV, Sling TV
- First Round: TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS
- Second Round: TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS
- Sweet 16: TBS, CBS
- Elite Eight: TBS, CBS, SlingTV
- Final Four: ESPN
- National Championship Game: ABC
Where is March Madness this year?
March Madness is played across multiple locations in the United States. Due to the massive tournament size of 64 teams, they are broken down into four regions. Here is a breakdown of where the NCAA men’s tournament will be played.
- First Four: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
- First and Second Rounds: Legacy Arena (Birmingham, Alabama), Wells Fargo Arena (des Moines, Iowa), Amway Center (Orlando, Florida), Golden 1 Center (Sacramento, California), MVP Arena (Albany, New York), Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio), Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado), Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)
- Sweet 16 and Elite Eight: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada), Madison Square Garden (New York, New York), T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri), KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Final Four: NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)
The men’s basketball national championship game and the Final Four will be played on Monday, April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Related: How many perfect brackets are left in March Madness?
How many teams in March Madness?
There are 68 teams in March Madness, with the field narrowed to 64 after the First Four play-in series. Each round eliminates half the field, culminating in a single national champion crowned in a single-elimination title game.
Originally, per NCAA.com, the first tournament started with only eight teams competing (1939). By 1951, they expanded to a 16-team format. The 64-team tournament was adopted in 1985, with a play-in game added in 2001. A decade later, the field expanded to 68 teams with four play-in matchups.
How to watch March Madness?
While television is the primary way many basketball fans watch the tournament, there are also multiple streaming options. Every game will be available live from almost any device out there, if you have one of the following services.
- DirectTV stream: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
- Hulu: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
- FuboTV: CBS
- Sling: TBS, TNT, truTV
- Paramount+: CBS
- YouTube TV: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
When did March Madness start?
March Madness started in 1939, becoming the first Division 1 men’s basketball tournament in NCAA history. It was played every year until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to its unprecedented cancelation. NCAA revenue reportedly fell by $600 million due to its cancelation.
Who won March Madness in 2022?
The Kansas Jayhawks won the 2022 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament, defeating No. 8 North Carolina. In the 2022 National Championship Game, No. 1 Kansas won 72-69 over No. 8 North Carolina, responding to a 40-25 halftime deficit with a massive second-half run. Kansas has won four national championships in its history.
Ochai Agbaji won the NCAA Final Four Most Oustanding Player award in 2022. He scored 21 points in the Final Four victory over No. 2 Villanova, sending Kansas to the championship game. In the national championship game, Agbaji scored 12 points with three rebounds, one steal and one block. Kansas had five players score in double-figures in that game.
Who won March Madness in 2021?
The Baylor Bears won the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament in 2021, taking down the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Heading into the championship, Gonzaga held a 30-0 record and had a chance to achieve history as the fifth program to become an undefeated national champion.
Baylor won the 2021 national championship 86-70, dominating the game from start to finish. Davion Mitchell (15 points, 5 assists) and Jared Butler (22 points, 7 assists) led the way. If Baylor wins this year, it would become the seventh program to be back-to-back NCAA men’s basketball champions.
March Madness records
- Most points in an NCAA tournament game: 61, Austin Carr (1970)
- Most 3-pointers made in an NCAA tournament game: 11, Jeff Fryer (1990)
- Most rebounds in an NCAA tournament game: 34, Fred Cohen (1956)
- Most assists in an NCAA tournament game: 18, Mark Wade (1987)