CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 08: RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives to the … [+] basket against Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of the game at Dean E. Smith Center on March 08, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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The biggest day in college basketball is here. The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament brackets will be unveiled on Sunday, March 16. Here’s everything you need to know about watching Selection Sunday, including the start time, the 2025 March Madness schedule, and more.
Selection Sunday determines the 68 teams competing in the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. A selection committee, made up of conference commissioners and athletic directors, evaluates teams based on season performance, strength of schedule, key wins, and overall stats to ensure competitive balance across each region of the bracket.
CBS’ Adam Zucker will host the men’s Selection Show, joined by analysts Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright, and Seth Davis. Bubba Cunningham, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, will also join the broadcast for a live interview to break down the bracket.
For the women’s Selection Show, ESPN’s Elle Duncan will host the program alongside analysts Andraya Carter, Rebecca Lobo, and Carolyn Peck. Reporter Holly Rowe and “bracketologist” Charlie Creme will also take part in the coverage tonight.
What Time Is Selection Sunday?
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 07: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans looks to make a play against … [+] Chloe Moore-McNeil #22 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half of the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament against at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 07, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The USC Trojans won the game 84-79. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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On Sunday, March 16, Selection Sunday begins at 6 p.m. ET with the men’s tournament reveal on CBS and Paramount+. The women’s tournament bracket will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
How To Watch Selection Sunday
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – MARCH 04: Wade Taylor IV #4 of the Texas A&M Aggies guards Chad … [+] Baker-Mazara #10 of the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Reed Arena on March 04, 2025 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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How To Watch The Men’s Selection
The men’s tournament selection will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. If you don’t have cable, you can watch Selection Sunday on a live TV streaming service that includes CBS, such as DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV. All four services currently offer free trials.
Meanwhile, Paramount+ offers two plans: Essential and with SHOWTIME. The Essential plan is $7.99 per month with limited ads, while Paramount with SHOWTIME is $12.99 per month.
How To Watch The Women’s Selection
The NCAA women’s tournament selection will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+. Cord-cutters can also watch on live TV streaming services that carry ESPN, including DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV. All four services currently offer free trials.
To sign up for ESPN+, you can subscribe to the standalone service beginning at $11.99 per month. Alternatively, you can bundle ESPN+ with Hulu and Disney+ starting at $16.99 per month.
The NCAA will also stream live coverage of Selection Sunday on NCAA March Madness Live, which viewers can access by logging in with their TV provider information.
What Is The March Madness 2025 Schedule?
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 05: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles around Paige Bueckers #5 … [+] of the UConn Huskies in the second half during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The First Four of the men’s tournament begins on March 18, while the women’s tournament kicks off on March 19. The tournaments will culminate with the championship games on April 7 (men’s) and April 6 (women’s). Check out the 2025 March Madness schedule below.
Men’s March Madness Schedule
- 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 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
- NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Women’s March Madness Schedule
- 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: Friday, April 4, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
- NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
