When is March Madness 2023? Dates, TV schedule, locations, odds & more for the NCAA Tournament

The Sporting News
 
When is March Madness 2023? Dates, TV schedule, locations, odds & more for the NCAA Tournament

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?

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.

2023 March Madness bracket blank

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:

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

Wednesday, March 15

Round 1

Thursday, March 16

Friday, March 17

Round 2

Saturday, March 18

Sunday, March 19

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 23

Friday, March 24

Elite Eight

Saturday, March 25

Sunday, March 26

Final Four

Saturday, April 1

National championship

Monday, April 3

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. 

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:

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:

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.