With the regular NCAA basketball season all wrapped up, it's time for one of the most entertaining months in sports — March Madness! Each year, the NCAA basketball tournament brings together both passionate fans and casual viewers as they witness thrilling college basketball. Sixty-eight teams enter and only one winner emerges. Anything can happen in March Madness 2025 — here are all the details on what to expect this year and how to score March Madness tickets!
March Madness Overview
March Madness refers to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament that is held each spring. While 364 men's teams play in the regular season, only 68 participate in the tournament to determine the national champion.
With Selection Sunday now complete, we now know which teams fill the 68 tournament spots. Thirty-two teams got an automatic bid by winning their conference tournament — the remaining 36 spots were chosen via a selection committee. Once the 68 teams were decided, the committee seeded the teams, which means ranking them from 1 to 68, one being the highest.
After the initial First Four games, the remaining 64 teams are separated into four regions — East, Midwest, South and West. Within each region, teams are seeded from one to 16 and matched up accordingly (ie: 1 seed vs 16 seed, 2 vs 15, etc.). As a single-elimination tournament, winners continue to the next round until the championship game, where one team will win it all.
For March Madness 2025, number 1 seeds include Auburn University, University of Florida, University of Houston and Duke University.
While on paper the higher seed should likely beat the lower seed, there are always inevitable "Cinderella" upsets that defy statistics and break brackets. They don't call it March Madness for nothing! Don't froget you can join in on the fun by filling out your own bracket and see how your predictions line up.
March Madness 2025 Dates
So when exactly is March Madness 2025? With Selection Sunday behind us, we now know which teams are competing and how the brackets are shaping up. The tournament schedule is as follows:
- First Four — March 18 and 19
- First Round — March 20 and 21
- Second Round — March 22 and 23
- Sweet Sixteen — March 27 and 28
- Elite Eight — March 29 and 30
- Final Four — April 5
- Championship Game — April 7
March Madness 2025 Locations
So where is March Madness 2025 held? The games for the March Madness tournament are held at various arenas across the country. Here are the March Madness 2025 locations:
- First Four — UD Arena in Dayton, OH
- First & Second Round — Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY; Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI; Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA; Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS; Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH; Ball Arena in Denver, CO; Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI; Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC
- Sweet Sixteen & Elite Eight — Prudential Center in Newark, NJ; Chase Center in San Francisco, CA; State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN
- Final Four & Championship Game — Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
March Madness Tickets
While there will be lots of TV coverage for March Madness, nothing quite beats the energy of watching a college basketball game in person. Be a part of the action by purchasing tournament tickets this year!
When Do March Madness Tickets Go on Sale?
Tickets for the NCAA men's basketball tournament are now available for purchase. Did you know Undercover Tourist is offering great deals on both regular season and March Madness tickets, including every round of the tournament? With over 20 years of experience, our tickets come with a 100% buyer guarantee so you can play it safe with your purchase.
Are you excited for March Madness? Will you be making a bracket this year? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: 2024-25 NBA Schedule — Everything to Know for This Season
