March Madness 2025 Selection Sunday: Brackets Set for Exciting Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — March Madness 2025 kicks into high gear this Sunday, March 16, with Selection Sunday announcing the brackets for both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournaments. The men’s bracket will be unveiled at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, followed by the women’s bracket at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The men’s tournament field will consist of 68 teams, including those that earned automatic bids and at-large selections. This year’s tournament will begin with the First Four games on March 18 in Dayton, Ohio, at the UD Arena.

The full slate of games for the men’s tournament includes regional sites such as Providence, Raleigh, and Newark. Notably, the East Regional will take place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, while the Midwest Regional will be hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The women’s tournament will follow closely behind, starting with First Four games on March 19, and their Final Four set for Friday, April 4 in Tampa, Florida. Both tournaments will culminate in championship games: the men’s on April 7 and the women’s on April 6.

Selection Sunday is essential as it determines the men’s and women’s tournament fields, including seeding and matchups. NCAA Selection Committee Chair, Chris Reynolds, noted, “This is a significant moment for all teams as it sets the stage for a thrilling tournament. Each game matters, and we look forward to the excitement that follows.”

The men’s NCAA Tournament will kick off in Dayton and will feature notable venues, including the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence and the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The women’s tournament’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds will take place in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington.

Among the 31 conferences, 14 automatic bids have already been secured, with five teams including Gonzaga and Drake clinching their spots previously. As conference championships wrap up this weekend, audiences eagerly await the determining factor of at-large bids.

With only days left until Selection Sunday, anticipation is heightening among college basketball fans and players alike. Each team vying for a chance to ascend through the tournament brackets is aware of the stakes that lie ahead.

For those planning to tune in, the CBS broadcast will be available for streaming, allowing viewers to catch every moment as teams learn their fates. Viewers should keep an eye on the potential upsets and Cinderella stories that have made March Madness a staple of college sports culture.