As March Madness begins to ramp up across the country in conference tournaments and the final week of the men’s college basketball regular season, the wait for Selection Sunday is almost over.
But before the NCAA Tournament selection show can arrive and teams learn their path to a hopeful Final Four appearance, some housekeeping items remain in men’s and women’s college basketball.
REQURIED READING: Bracketology: Tennessee is new No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament projection for March Madness
The final days of the season for both sports will give a good idea of what field of 68 will look like on the men’s and women’s side, as those teams on the bubble play with a small margin of error.
On the men’s side, some storylines surrounding bubble teams include whether John Calipari and Arkansas can pick up a resume-boosting win before Selection Sunday to get off the bubble. Elsewhere, will Gonzaga keep its 25-year NCAA Tournament streak alive? And will North Carolina put together a strong showing at the men’s ACC tournament to get into the field?
WOMEN’S SPORTS: The latest news and insider insights from USA TODAY Studio IX.
On the women’s side, the attention surrounds the potential paths some of its top teams: Can JuJu Watkins lead USC to its first ever national championship? Will South Carolina get a favorable path to the Final Four to defend its national championship? And will a healthy Paige Bueckers finally help UConn get over the hump and win the program’s first national championship title since 2016?
All these questions, and then some, will be answered in just nine days by the NCAA Tournament selection committees.
With that, here’s what you need to know about Selection Sunday for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments, including show start times, TV channel and streaming information and more:
Watch 2025 NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday shows live with Fubo (free trial)When is Selection Sunday?
Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 16 for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
What time is March Madness bracket released?
- Men’s Tournament selection show time: 6 p.m. ET
- Women’s Tournament selection show time: 8 p.m. ET
The men’s NCAA Tournament field is scheduled to be unveiled at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, assuming no outstanding conference championship games remain.
The women’s NCAA Tournament field will be released shortly after the men’s Selection Sunday show, at 8 p.m. ET.
What channel is Selection Sunday show?
- TV channels: CBS | ESPN
- Streaming options: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
The men’s NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday show air nationally on CBS. The women’s NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday show will air nationally on ESPN.
You can stream both bracket reveal shows on Fubo, which not only carries CBS and the ESPN family of networks, but also offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Full men’s March Madness schedule 2025
- Start date: Tuesday, March 18 (First Four)
- End date: Monday, April 7 (national championship)
The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 18 in Dayton, Ohio at UD Arena with the First Four. The Final Four will occur on Saturday, April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, with the national championship game on Monday, April 7.
Here is the full schedule breakdown for the 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament:
- First Four: Tuesday, March 18 through Wednesday, March 19
- First round: Thursday, March 20 through Friday, March 21
- Second round: Saturday, March 22 through Sunday, March 23
- Sweet 16: Thursday, March 27 through Friday, March 28
- Elite Eight: Saturday, March 29 through Sunday, March 30
- Final Four: Saturday, April 5
- National championship game: Monday, April 7
Full women’s March madness schedule
- Start date: Wednesday, March 19 (First Four)
- End date: Sunday, April 6 (national championship)
The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 19 with the first set of First Four games. The Final Four will occur on Friday, April 4 in Tampa, Florida at Amalie Arena, with the national championship game two days later on Sunday, April 6.
Here is the full schedule breakdown for the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament:
- First Four: Wednesday, March 19 through Thursday, March 20
- Round of 64: Friday, March 21 through Saturday, March 22
- Round of 32: Sunday, March 23 through Monday, March 24
- Sweet 16: Friday, March 28 through Saturday, March 29
- Elite Eight: Sunday, March 30 through Monday, March 31
- Final Four: Friday, April 4
- National championship game: Sunday, April 6
