March Madness game times, TV schedule for NCAA Tournament first round

The 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament round of 64 tips off Thursday

The Arizona Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils could meet in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The best week of the sports year has arrived.

On Thursday and Friday the 2025 NCAA Tournament will dominate television, computer and phone screens across the country as 32 first-round men's basketball games take place starting at 9:15 a.m. MST Thursday and wrapping up past 9 p.m. MST on Friday.

No. 8 Louisville and No. 9 Creighton will get the party started Thursday morning with a first-round South Region game from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The first round will conclude on Friday with an East Region matchup between No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 Liberty in Seattle.

The No. 4 Arizona Wildcats will play their first-round East Region game vs. Akron on Friday at 4:35 p.m. MST

Here's the complete first-round schedule, with TV channels and game times, for the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Thursday, March 20 - First round schedule

(All game times MST)

• (8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton, 9:15 a.m. | CBS
• (4) Purdue vs. (13) High Point, 9:40 a.m. | truTV
• (3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Montana, 10:30 a.m. | TNT
• (1) Houston vs. (16) SIU Edwardsville, 10 a.m. | TBS
• (1) Auburn vs. (16) Saint Francis/Alabama St., 10:50 a.m. | CBS
• (5) Clemson vs. (12) McNeese, 12:15 p.m. | truTV
• (6) BYU vs. (11) VCU, 1:05 p.m. | TNT
• (8) Gonzaga vs. (9) Georgia, 1:35 p.m. | TBS
• (2) Tennessee vs. (15) Wofford, 3:50 p.m. | TNT
• (7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas, 4:10 p.m. | CBS
• (4) Texas A&M vs. (13) Yale, 4:25 p.m. | TBS
• (6) Missouri vs. (11) Drake, 4:35 p.m. | truTV
• (7) UCLA vs. (10) Utah State, 6:25 p.m. | TNT
• (2) St. John's vs. (15) Omaha, 6:45 p.m. | CBS
• (5) Michigan vs. (12) UC San Diego, 7 p.m. | TBS
• (3) Texas Tech vs. (14) UNC Wilmington, 7:10 p.m. | truTV

Friday, March 21 - First round schedule

(All game times MST)

• (8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Baylor, 9:15 a.m. | CBS
• (2) Alabama vs. (15) Robert Morris, 9:40 a.m. | truTV
• (3) Iowa State vs. (14) Lipscomb, 10:30 a.m. | TNT
• (5) Memphis vs. (12) Colorado State, 11 a.m. | TBS
• (1) Duke vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's/American, 11:50 a.m. | CBS
• (7) Saint Mary's vs. (10) Vanderbilt, 12:15 p.m. | truTV
• (6) Ole Miss vs. (11) North Carolina/San Diego State, 1:05 p.m. | TNT
• (4) Maryland vs. (13) Grand Canyon, 1:35 p.m. | TBS
• (1) Florida vs. (16) Norfolk State, 4:50 p.m. | TNT
• (3) Kentucky vs. (14) Troy, 4:10 p.m. | CBS
• (7) Marquette vs. (10) New Mexico, 4:25 p.m. | TBS
• (4) Arizona vs. (13) Akron, 4:35 p.m. | truTV
• (8) UConn vs. (9) Oklahoma, 5:25 p.m. | TNT
• (6) Illinois vs. (11) Xavier/Texas, 6:45 p.m. | TNT
• (2) Michigan State vs. (15) Bryant, 7 p.m. | TBS
• (5) Oregon vs. (12) Liberty, 7:10 p.m. | truTV

More Arizona & Big 12 Analysis

• NCAA Tournament first-round predictions

• March Madness bracket analysis: Arizona vs. Akron in East Region

• Could the NCAA Tournament expand in 2026?

• What Tommy Lloyd said after Hunter Dickinson cooked Arizona

• Arizona coach has great response to not starting his son on Senior Night

• Arizona offensive lineman wows with speed at NFL Scouting Combine

• Tommy Lloyd has emotional response to Utah's coach being fired

• Longtime college basketball ref roasted for 'bad call' at end of Arizona-BYU game

• Tennessee transfer making big impact for Arizona