It's the best time of the year again.
College basketball fans everywhere are gearing up for action-packed days as March Madness rounds the final corner.
Last year shared a Cinderella story for the ages. No. 15-seeded Saint Peter's made a shell-shocking, record-breaking run to the Elite Eight, where it eventually fell to North Carolina 69-49. But, the Peacocks' run wasn't defined where it ended. No, it was defined with how they got there, defeating higher-seeded teams Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue in the grueling process of elimination and sparking chaos through the bracket.
Where will upsets occur and what memes will be made in 2023? What team will hop in the pumpkin carriage donning the glass slipper this go-around?
MORE: Watch select NCAA Tournament games live with SlingTV
The Sporting News has you covered on how to watch all of it unfold in 2023, including TV schedule, streaming options, venues, updated betting odds and more.
March Madness bracket 2023
The March Madness bracket will be set on March 12 during the Selection Sunday showing on CBS. Automatic bids will go to 32 conference champions, and 36 others will receive an at-large bid if they've proved their pedigree to be up to committee standards for the competition.
MORE: Download a printable 2023 March Madness bracket
NCAA Tournament schedule 2023
- Start date: Tuesday, March 14 (First Four)
- End date: Monday, April 3 (national championship)
The 2023 NCAA Tournament is compromised of the First Four; Rounds 1 and 2; Sweet 16; Elite Eight; Final Four and the national championship game. The First Four begins Tuesday, March 14. The national championship game will take place on Monday, April 3.
Here is the full schedule for March Madness 2023:
| Round | Date |
| First Four | March 14-15 |
| Round 1 | March 16-17 |
| Round 2 | March 18-19 |
| Sweet 16 | March 23-24 |
| Elite Eight | March 25-26 |
| Final Four | April 1 |
| National championship | April 3 |
When is the First Four?
The 2023 NCAA Tournament begins with the First Four games, which will take place over the course of two days: Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15.
A field of eight teams, compromised of the four lowest-seeded automatic and at-large bids, will partake in the First Four games. The teams that come out victorious are granted access to the tournament's proper 64-team bracket.
- Date: March 14-15
- Time: 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET
- TV channel: TruTV
- Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live, Sling TV
When is the Final Four?
The 2023 NCAA Tournament ends with the Final Four and a championship game, which will also take place over the course of two-days: on Saturday, April 1 and Monday, April 3.
- Date: Friday, April 1, and Monday, April 3
- Time: 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET for Final Four and 9 p.m. ET for national championship game
- TV channel: CBS
- Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+, fuboTV
The complete 2023 March Madness schedule will be updated when the 68-team field is announced on Selection Sunday.
First Four
Tuesday, March 14
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| (16) Southeast Missouri vs. (16) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (11) Pitt vs. (11) Mississippi State | 9:10 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
Wednesday, March 15
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| (16) Fairleigh Dickinson vs. (16) Texas Southern | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (11) Nevada vs. (11) Arizona State | 9:10 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
Round 1
Thursday, March 16
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| (9) Maryland vs. (8) West Virginia | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| (13) Furman vs. (4) Virginia | 12:40 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (10) Utah State vs. (7) Missouri | 1:40 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (16) Howard vs. (1) Kansas | 2 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (16) Texas A&M-CC vs. (1) Alabama | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| (12) Charleston vs. (5) San Diego State | 3:10 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (15) Princeton vs. (2) Arizona | 4:10 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (9) Illinois vs. (8) Arkansas | 4:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (9) Auburn vs. (8) Iowa | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (12) Oral Roberts vs. (5) Duke | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| (15) Colgate vs. (2) Texas | 7:25 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (10) Boise State vs. (7) Northwestern | 7:35 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (16) Northern Kentucky vs. (1) Houston | 9:20 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (13) Louisiana vs. (4) Tennessee | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| (10) Penn State vs. (7) Texas A&M | 9:55 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (15) UNC Asheville vs. (2) UCLA | 10:05 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
Friday, March 17
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| (10) USC vs. (7) Michigan State | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| (14) Kennesaw State vs. (3) Xavier | 12:40 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (14) UC Santa Barbara vs. (3) Baylor | 1:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (12) VCU vs. (5) Saint Mary's | 2 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (15) Vermont vs. (2) Marquette | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| (11) Pitt vs. (6) Iowa State | 3:10 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (11) N.C. State vs. (6) Creighton | 4 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (13) Iona vs. (4) UConn | 4:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (16) Texas Southern/FDU vs. (1) Purdue | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (11) Providence vs. (6) Kentucky | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| (12) Drake vs. (5) Miami (Fla.) | 7:25 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (14) Grand Canyon vs. (3) Gonzaga | 7:35 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| (9) Florida Atlantic vs. (8) Memphis | 9:20 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| (14) Montana State vs. (3) Kansas State | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| (13) Kent State vs. (4) Indiana | 9:55 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| (11) Arizona State/Nevada vs. (6) TCU | 10:05 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
Round 2
Saturday, March 18
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | Noon | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:30 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 5 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
Sunday, March 19
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | Noon | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 2:30 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 5 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | TruTV, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 23
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 6:15 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:45 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 | CBS |
Friday, March 24
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 6:15 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:45 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 9:30 | CBS |
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 25
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling TV |
Sunday, March 26
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 4:55 p.m. | CBS |
Final Four
Saturday, April 1
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. | CBS |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | CBS |
National championship
Monday, April 3
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs. TBD | 9 p.m. | CBS |
How to watch March Madness games in 2023
CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV will split the duty of broadcasting the 2023 NCAA Tournament, a deal that will run through 2032.
| Round | TV channel |
| First Four | TruTV |
| Round 1 | CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| Round 2 | CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| Sweet 16 | CBS, TBS |
| Elite Eight | CBS, TBS |
| Final Four | CBS |
| National championship | CBS |
Here are the regional weekend announcer teams:
- Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson
- Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce
- Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, Evan Washburn
- Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy, Lauren Shehadi
The rest of the announcer teams, in alphabetical order:
- Lisa Byington, Steve Smith, Avery Johnson, Andy Katz
- Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
- Spero Dedes, Deb Antonelli, AJ Ross
- Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood, Dana Jacobson
The 2023 NCAA Tournament can be streamed via NCAA March Madness Live; other streaming services include Sling TV.
Where is March Madness 2023?
The 2023 NCAA Tournament will be spread out across the country, as always.
The First Four will be held at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio; the first and second rounds will take place across eight cities; the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will take place across four cities; and the Final Four and national championship game will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Below is a full rundown of the sites and locations of the NCAA Tournament:
| Round | Location | Site |
| First Four | Dayton, Ohio | UD Arena |
| Rounds 1-2 | Birmingham, Alabama | Legacy Arena |
| Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Center | |
| Orlando, Florida | Amway Center | |
| Sacramento, California | Golden 1 Center | |
| Albany, New York | MVP Arena | |
| Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena | |
| Denver, Colorado | Ball Arena | |
| Greensboro, North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | Las Vegas, Nevada | T-Mobile Arena |
| New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | |
| Kansas City, Missouri | T-Mobile Center | |
| Louisville, Kentucky | KFC Yum! Center | |
| Final Four | Houston, Texas | NRG Stadium |
Odds to win March Madness 2023
Below are the teams most likely to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament via BetMGM (as of Wednesday, March 8):
- Houston (+600)
- Kansas (+800)
- Alabama (+800)
- UCLA (+900)
- Purdue (+1100)
- Arizona (+1200)
- Baylor (+1600)
- UConn (+1600)
- Gonzaga (+2000)
- Texas (+2500)
- Marquette (+2500)
- Tennessee (+3000)
- St. Mary's (+3300)
- TCU (+3300)
- Indiana (+4000)
- Creighton (+4000)
- Kentucky (+5000)
- Miami (FL) (+5000)
- Arkansas (+5000)
- Xavier (+5000)
- Duke (+5000)
- Virginia (+5000)
Future Final Four locations, host sites
Below are the host sites for future Final Fours in ensuing seasons:
| Year | City | Final Four host site |
| 2024 | Phoenix | State Farm Stadium |
| 2025 | San Antonio | Alamodome |
| 2026 | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2027 | Detroit | Ford Field |
| 2028 | Las Vegas | Allegiant Stadium |
| 2029 | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2030 | North Texas | AT&T Stadium |
NCAA Tournament 2023 tickets
Tickets will be available for all tournament sessions through NCAA official partner sites such as AXS and Ticketmaster.
NCAA Tournament winners
Kansas won the NCAA Tournament in 2022, securing its fourth title in program history and second under head coach Bill Self by beating North Carolina 72-69. The Jayhawks managed to rally from a 16-point deficit for the largest comeback win in March Madness championship history.
UCLA leads the charge with 11 national championships under its belt, followed by the blue bloods: Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke. Below is a complete list of how many titles each school holds, since the tournament's inauguration in 1939.
| School | National titles | Most recent |
| UCLA | 11 | 1995 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 2012 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 2017 |
| Duke | 5 | 2015 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1987 |
| Kansas | 4 | 2022 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 2014 |
| Villanova | 3 | 2018 |
| Cincinnati | 2 | 1962 |
| Florida | 2 | 2007 |
| Louisville | 2 | 1986 |
| Michigan State | 2 | 2000 |
| N.C. State | 2 | 1983 |
| Oklahoma State | 2 | 1946 |
| San Francisco | 2 | 1956 |
| Arizona | 1 | 1997 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 1994 |
| Baylor | 1 | 2021 |
| California | 1 | 1959 |
| City College of New York | 1 | 1950 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 1984 |
| Holy Cross | 1 | 1947 |
| La Salle | 1 | 1954 |
| Loyola Chicago | 1 | 1963 |
| Marquette | 1 | 1977 |
| Maryland | 1 | 2002 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1989 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1960 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1939 |
| UNLV | 1 | 1990 |
| Stanford | 1 | 1942 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 2003 |
| UTEP | 1 | 1966 |
| Utah | 1 | 1944 |
| Virginia | 1 | 2019 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1941 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1943 |
