As the late great Jackie Gleason would say, “And awaaay we go!” Google him, kids. He was terrific. But we digress.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts in earnest Thursday, with 16 first-round games spread throughout the day. The first two No. 1 regional seeds will take the court in the afternoon session, and the prime-time lineup features some of the sport’s big-name programs and coaches with difficult draws.

Here is your complete viewer’s guide for the first full day of March Madness, including game times, channels, and a few notes on the matchups. Happy hooping, and best of luck with your brackets.

No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton

Time, TV: 12:15 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)

The day tips off in Lexington, Kentucky, where the Cardinals were perhaps seeded lower than expected but at least get to play in their home state. The Bluejays are accustomed to hostile environs, having just played in the Big East final before a St. John’s crowd at Madison Square Garden, but they’ll need to avoid a similar second-half barrage to get by Louisville.

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point

Time, TV: 12:40 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

The Boilermakers’ quest to get back to the Final Four opens against a tournament newcomer. After knocking on the door for a number of years, the Panthers finally broke through in the Big South tournament and now hope to make the most of the experience. High Point is deeper than most non-power conference squads, and Purdue does not exactly have momentum on its side having dropped six of its last nine.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWNS: East | West | Midwest | South

UPSET-MINDED: Six potential surprising results in the first round

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No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana

Time, TV: 1:30 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)

This might be a tougher assignment for Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin than it might appear. It’s a quick turnaround for the Badgers after playing in the league finale Sunday afternoon, and the Grizzlies, though dancing for the first time since 2019, won’t be bothered by playing at altitude in Denver. Still, it will be difficult to match the production of John Tonje and the Badgers from the three-point arc.

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Time, TV: 2 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)

For the uninitiated, SIUE are the Cougars, not the Salukis, and the Ohio Valley champions are dancing for the first time since moving up from Division II in 2008. They probably won’t last long against the more accomplished Cougars, but they can at least hope for a nice play or two to make the ‘One Shining Moment’ montage.

No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State

Time, TV: 2:50 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)

After prevailing in a thriller in Dayton against St. Francis, the Hornets now look to become only the second 16 seed to topple a No. 1 after winning in the First Four, a feat achieved just two years ago by Fairleigh Dickinson. It’s a tall order, and the Tigers have almost certainly spent the last week reiterating attention to detail after dropping three of their last four games.

No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese State

Time, TV: 3:15 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

Will Wade, a Clemson grad for what it’s worth, has led the Cowboys back in the dance as a No. 1 12 seed for a second consecutive year. The Tigers will be a bit short-handed with reserve guard Dillon Hunter out with an injury, but his brother Chase is among several veterans of last year’s Elite Eight squad.

No. 6 Brigham Young vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth

Time, TV: 4:05 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)

One of the most promising matchups of the round of 64 pits VCU, a strong A-10 program with a history of March success including an improbable First Four to Final Four run in 2011, against the Cougars, perhaps underseeded considering the solid second half of their Big 12 season. Both teams take nearly half their shots from beyond the arc, so expect plenty of long-range fireworks.

No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia

Time, TV: 4:35 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)

An all-Bulldogs affair rounds out the early session. Recent Sweet 16 fixture Gonzaga has been at its best down the stretch and having the steady hand of Ryan Nembhard at the point helps, but Georgia is battle tested after negotiating the SEC and has plenty of athletes capable of generating turnovers.

No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford

Time, TV: 6:50 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)

The Volunteers lead off the evening slate as they begin their quest to escape the ‘never made the Final Four’ club. They defend as well as any team in the field, and an early run could put the Southern Conference champion Terriers away quickly. Wofford has faced high-end competition this season, but its early November visit to Duke didn’t provide much cause for optimism.

No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas

Time, TV: 7:10 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)

From a coaching standpoint, this pod in Providence arguably offers the most intrigue of the first round. Long-time KU mentor Bill Self squares off with John Calipari, in his first year helming the Razorbacks, for the right, barring a colossal upset, to meet Rick Pitino and St. John’s in the second round. The Jayhawks, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, picked up some valuable wins early but struggled in Big 12 play. Arkansas did just enough in the ultra-competitive SEC to make the field, and now those frequent encounters with ranked opponents could serve the Razorbacks well.

No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale

Time, TV: 7:25 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)

After sending Auburn packing from the round of 64 a season ago, Yale will not be sneaking up on anyone. Nevertheless, the Aggies can be prone to cold spells, which could allow a smart bunch like the Bulldogs to hang around well into the second half. The backcourt matchup between Yale’s John Poulakidas and A&M’s Wade Taylor should be one to watch.

No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake

Time, TV: 7:35 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

Yet another SEC squad in the middle of the bracket faces a dangerous group of Bulldogs. This Drake team looks considerably different from the one that came up just short against Washington State last year, but new coach Ben McCollum reloaded quickly to keep the Bulldogs atop the Missouri Valley. Mizzou has more overall scoring depth but might need all its options to contribute in what figures to be a full 40-minute battle

No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State

Time, TV: 9:25 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)

The Bruins, one of the two Big Ten west-coast additions to make the dance, embark on a treacherous bracket draw. Utah State reached the second round a season ago and has the fire power to do so again. UCLA lacks a true super star but can mount relentless ball pressure that results in its opponents committing over 15 turnovers a game. That can be an issue for the Aggies, who must use their screen game to get open looks from three-point range.

No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 15 Nebraska-Omaha

Time, TV: 9:45 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)

The Mavericks already knew they’d be dancing when they reach the Summit League final against St. Thomas, which is still in its transition period and not eligible to play in the NCAA Tournament yet. To its credit, Omaha won the game anyway to be the true conference champ. The Mavericks’ run likely ends here, however, as the Red Storm completed their takeover of the Big East in Rick Pitino’s second season. St. John’s has shot the ball much better of late, a scary proposition for future opponents.

No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego

Time, TV: 10 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)

With a lofty victory total and a high NET ranking, the Tritons figured to be a popular upset pick before the actual bracket was unveiled. They still might be, but they were dealt a tough hand by having to face the Big Ten tournament champion Wolverines. On the plus side for UCSD, Michigan will be on shorter rest in the altitude of the Mile High City. Even so, getting points at the rim could be difficult for the Tritons against the Wolverines’ seven-footers, so they might be more reliant than usual on hitting treys.

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington

Time, TV: 10:10 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)

The final game of the day to tip features the Red Raiders, the lone Big 12 club that managed to beat Houston during the regular season, hoping to begin a journey to the program’s second Final Four appearance. Up first are the Seahawks, who claimed their first CAA crown and NCAA berth since 2017. UNCW got a taste of the Big 12 back in November in an 18-point loss at Kansas, which as a footnote was Jayhawks’ coach Bill Self’s 800th career victory.

William & Mary never had a basketball team — men’s or women’s — compete in the NCAA Tournament until 2025, and the school has senior guard Bella Nascimento to thank. 

The Tribe, which will play against High Point in Thursday’s 9 p.m. ET play-in game, started 7-3 in Coastal Athletic Association play. But once they lost 59-58 in overtime to Drexel on Valentine’s Day, they continued to lose eight of their last nine regular-season games. 

Then, William & Mary made an historic run in the conference tournament to become the first team with a losing record to qualify for the NCAA Tournament since Incarnate Word in 2022.

‘We fell on some hard times to finish the regular season,’ head coach Erin Dickerson Davis told USA TODAY Sports. ‘We lost a heartbreaker around the middle of conference play that really just rocked us to our core. We couldn’t find our footing after that.’

As the team got on the bus following a 73-55 loss March 8 at Campbell, Nascimento took matters into her own hands and challenged the team. 

‘Is this who we are? Are we quitters? Are we just going to lay down and fold?’ Dickerson Davis recalled Nascimento asking the team. ‘She started calling out herself and all of her teammates on the bus on the way back to William & Mary. She said, ‘This is what I need from you, but we’re not quitters. Don’t quit on me. Don’t lay down.’ I think that sparked the energy that we needed going into practice for the tournament and once we won that first game, we did it together.

‘I think that sparked whatever was going to come next.”  

Eight days later, No. 9 seed William & Mary, a team with a losing record (15-18, 8-10), was crowned the unlikely CAA champion against that same Campbell team.

The Tribe fought through No. 1 seed North Carolina A&T in the second round, winning 74-66 in overtime. Then went down 14-0 in the title game before Nascimento posted 20 of the team’s 40 points in a second-half comeback. She finished against Campbell with a career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds while going 14-of-26 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from 3. 

‘The emotions that I was filled with,’ Dickerson Davis said. ‘One of the clips that I see over and over is people just giving me a hug and me bursting into tears because this group has been through so many things. We’ve done it together. We’ve been resilient. We fell down seven times and we got back up the eighth time.’

Dickerson Davis’ team will need that resilience as it heads into Thursday night’s First Four matchup against High Point (21-11, 13-3 in Big South), which ESPNU will broadcast.

The Panthers are on a nine-game winning streak and secured their second-ever NCAA Tournament bid by being the best of the Big South Conference. 

Upsets are rare in women’s March Madness games — teams seeded Nos. 14-16 are a combined 1-360 in tournament history, according to NCAA.com — and William & Mary drew a tough path.

Even with the pressures of the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, Dickerson Davis said she’s relying on the same message that got her team through the conference tournament: Take it one game at a time. 

‘That is the same mindset that we have going into this game versus a very good, well-coached High Point team,” Dickerson Davis said. ‘We have another game and you have to treat it as the last one you’re going to get. What do you want that to look like and how do you want it to go? Make sure you leave everything out on the floor and more than anything, remember that you cannot do it alone.”

Heading into this year’s tournament, the winners of the First Four games are 1-11 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Only one lower seed won a first-round matchup last year, when No. 11 seed Middle Tennessee beat No. 6 Louisville.  

If the Tribe wins against the Panthers, it’ll face a tough No. 1 seed Texas on Saturday.  

In 1998, Harvard became the only No. 16 seed to ever beat a No. 1 seed. So while history isn’t on William & Mary’s side, it’s not impossible. And this team has been doing the improbable all year.

You’re just recovering from the madness of Selection Sunday and the reveal of the 68 teams in the NCAA women’s tournament bracket. Now comes the hard part: Trying to make your picks on which teams will advance, which teams will be upset and which teams will reach the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.

The selection committee did not make this easy. Southern California and UConn are on the same side of the bracket. So one of the tournament’s most anticipated matchups — between JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers — would come in the Elite Eight. SoCal and UCLA could meet in the semifinals, not the championship game April 6 at Amalie Arena.

Meanwhile, No. 1 seeds Texas and South Carolina could meet in the Final Four.

Do you want some expert brackets to help guide you? Here are our best from the USA TODAY Sports staff as they predict every game through the Final Four and national championship.

Make it your best March Madness yet: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Sports newsletter for bracket expertise.

Nancy Armour

Full bracket

Final Four: UCLA, UConn, Texas, Duke
Final: UConn vs. Duke
National champion: UConn

Cora Hall

Full bracket

Final Four: South Carolina, UConn, NC State, Notre Dame
Final: South Carolina vs. UConn 
National champion: South Carolina

Meghan L. Hall

Full bracket

Final Four: UCLA, USC, South Carolina, Notre Dame
Final: USC vs. South Carolina
National champion: South Carolina

Cydney Henderson

Full bracket

Final Four: UCLA, UConn, South Carolina, TCU
Final: UCLA vs. South Carolina
National Champion: South Carolina 

Jordan Mendoza

Full bracket

Final Four: UCLA, USC, South Carolina, Notre Dame
Final: USC vs. South Carolina
National champion: USC

The Xavier Musketeers technically didn’t have a home court advantage in Wednesday’s First Four men’s NCAA Tournament game, but try telling that to the Texas Longhorns.

Playing in Dayton, Ohio — just 47 miles from its campus in Cincinnati — Xavier staged a second-half rally to defeat Texas 86-80 and advance to the first round of the NCAA’s Midwest Regional.

Trailing by double figures midway through the second half, Xavier gained momentum with help from its fans and guard Marcus Foster, who scored a season-high 22 points, 16 of them coming after halftime.

‘One of the greatest games I’ve been a part of,’ Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. ‘The energy of the crowd, our fans certainly took advantage of the proximity to Cincinnati. That emotion when we needed them, it was certainly a factor in the game.’

Battling foull trouble the entire night, Xavier big man Zach Freemantle put Xavier ahead for good with just under two minutes left with a basket to make it 80-78.

He then finished things off with an emphatic dunk for the game’s final points.

‘It was a very hard-fought game. That’s a very good team we just played, and I’m just thankful to be a part of it,’ said Freemantle, who scored 15 points in the win.

The emotions were still running high as the Musketeers left the court. While receiving congratulations from fans, Freemantle donned a cowboy hat and flashed the dreaded ‘Horns Down’ gesture toward whatever Texas fans still remained in UD Arena.

The No. 11-seeded Musketeers will next face Midwest No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday in Milwaukee.

Now, March Madness can officially begin.

We’ve soldiered through another First Four, in preparation for the NCAA Tournament’s first round on Thursday, the date that many observers still consider to be the real start of the tournament.

First, though, we had a trimming of the fat on Tuesday and Wednesday to whittle the bracket to 64 teams.

Here are the winners and losers from the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio:

Winners

North Carolina, Xavier

First Four victors make for good sleeper-team candidates.

In 12 of the past 13 years featuring these First Four games, at least one team that played its way into the 64-team field advanced to at least the second round.

VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021) went from First Four to Final Four.

That history bodes well for North Carolina and Xavier. Those two No. 11 seeds that won their play-in games now will face No. 6 seeds Ole Miss and Illinois, respectively.

Upset alert, anyone?

Dunk enthusiasts

If you enjoy points in the paint, then you loved Mount St. Mary’s 83-72 win against American that featured a handful of rim-rattling jams.

Mount St. Mary’s offense functioned beautifully. Big men Jedy Cordilia and Dola Adebayo each supplied 22 points with unstoppable dominance at the rim, and some inside-out kick-outs resulted in nine 3-pointers for the Mountaineers, who looked better than your garden variety 16-seed.

Bubba Cunningham

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham served as the chairman of the tournament selection committee that just so happened to choose the Tar Heels for the final at-large bid. Cunningham will be due a bonus in excess of $75,000 for the team’s NCAA selection, per the terms of his contract.

Rules dictate that Cunningham not be in the room while the rest of the committee members discussed North Carolina’s tournament candidacy, but his presence as committee chairman nonetheless created at least the illusion of bias.

North Carolina’s 8-0 record against “Quad 2” opponents highlighted its credentials, along with a sturdy NET ranking. It won two ACC Tournament games, while other bubble teams lost their conference tournament openers.

Still, the Tar Heels carried a squishy résumé into Selection Sunday, anchored by a 1-12 record against “Quad 1” opponents. Cunningham being the committee chair added fuel to the fire of the debate.

By smashing San Diego State 95-68, the Tar Heels quieted critics who objected to their selection. Oh, and if the Tar Heels reach the Sweet 16, Cunningham will be owed another bonus. Sweet deal.

Tony Madlock’s wife

The television broadcast Tuesday showed Stacie Madlock, wife of Alabama State coach Tony Madlock and mother to Hornets forward TJ Madlock, with her head in her hands during the game against St. Francis.

Prayers answered.

Alabama State beat St. Francis with a wild bucket in the final second.

Losers

Rodney Terry

Texas coach Rodney Terry sits on a hot seat, and Texas blowing an eight-point halftime lead in its loss to Xavier didn’t help his case for job retention.

The SEC qualified a record 14 teams for this tournament. Now, it’s down to 13 strong, as Terry awaits his fate.

St. Francis, American

The First Four continues to be a rough deal for the No. 16 seeds that are cast into play-in games despite winning their conference tournaments.

Back when the NCAA Tournament featured only 64 teams, winning your conference tournament triggered guaranteed entry into the 64-team bracket. Tournament expansion changed this. Now, the four lowest-seeded automatic bids on the 16-seed line must win a play-in game to earn the right to play a No. 1 seed.

Alabama State and Mount St. Mary’s won and advanced to the first round.

St. Francis and American bid adieu.

Alabama State’s last-second basket brought a swift end to St. Francis’ second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

San Diego State

After all that howling about North Carolina not deserving the final at-large bid, San Diego State shouted, “Hold my beer!”

The Aztecs’ putrid performance against the Tar Heels suggested that San Diego State was the real dud of Selection Sunday, hiding in plain sight.

The Tar Heels’ torrid shooting ripped to shreds the Aztecs’ typically stout defense.

Mississippi

Would you want to play the Tar Heels in Round 1 after the way they tormented San Diego State?

North Carolina guard RJ Davis, an NCAA Tournament veteran, will enter the first-round game against Ole Miss blistering hot after making all six of his 3-point attempts against the Aztecs.

If Davis stays hot, look out, Rebels.

West Virginia

What an awful stretch of days it’s been for West Virginia. First, the selection committee omitted the Mountaineers, who beat six “Quad 1” opponents en route to a 19-13 record. Then, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey embarrassed himself in a pathetic excuse for a news conference during which he threatened legal action in response to the committee choosing UNC over the Mountaineers.

“We need to get to the bottom of it,” Morrisey bloviated.

West Virginia lost its first game in the Big 12 Tournament, 67-60, to Colorado, a team with 20 losses. There’s the bottom of it. The defense rests.

To top it off, West Virginia needs a new coach.

The final tally for West Virginia: No bid, one gasbag governor, no coach.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

The UCLA Bruins Bruins earned the top overall seed in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, with Lauren Betts and company vying for the program’s first national championship.

But the Bruins have never advanced past the Elite Eight. Can they end that drought this March Madness? Will Paige Bueckers end her UConn career with a ring? Can Olivia Miles and Notre Dame get out of the first weekend?

Here are nine March Madness bold predictions from our USA TODAY Sports Network experts.

Stream women’s NCAA Tournament games on Fubo

Women’s March Madness bold predictions

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: Notre Dame’s late-season struggles will continue, and the Irish won’t make it out of the first weekend.
Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel: Ole Miss goes on another Cinderella run and spoils another No. 1 seed’s tournament, this time sending UCLA home in the Sweet 16.
Lulu Kesin, Greenville News: Although UCLA was a machine in the regular season, the Bruins fall in the Sweet 16 after struggling against a high-pressure, very skilled Ole Miss defense.
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: South Carolina doesn’t repeat. Everyone seems to be afraid of facing the Gamecocks since they didn’t get the top overall seed. They may be on a mission to the Final Four, but there’s too much talent coming out of the Spokane Regional to let South Carolina win back-to-back crowns.
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: TCU will cut Notre Dame’s tourney short during the Sweet 16. Much like their regular-season matchup in November — where Sedona Prince went off for 20 points, 20 rebounds and 8 blocks in TCU’s comeback win — the Fighting Irish’s defense will struggle to contain 6-foot-7 Prince and four-time All-American Hailey Van Lith.
Meghan Hall, For The Win: Paige Bueckers will leave her college career without a ring. The USC Trojans and JuJu Watkins will end UConn’s NCAA Tournament run in the Elite Eight.
Mike Sykes, For The Win: NC State — not UCLA — will emerge and make it to the Final Four. The scoring power of Aziaha James and the versatility of Saniya Rivers will catapult the Wolfpack on a deep tournament run.
Cory Diaz, The Daily Advertiser: Vanderbilt makes a deep run to the Elite Eight. Freshman Mikayla Blakes is a walking bucket. The dynamic duo of her and Khamil Pierre is one of the most efficient guard-post tandems in women’s basketball. Their length and athleticism are valuable this time of year.
Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times: TCU makes Final Four run. Behind the play of Hailey Van Lith, the Horned Frogs have had a historic season and that will continue as they take down in-state foe Texas in the Elite Eight to head to Tampa.

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 (both semifinals; first game begins at 7 p.m. ET)
NCAA championship: Sunday, April 6 (Game scheduled for 3 p.m. ET)

Where to watch Women’s March Madness

All games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks, which includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews.

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) – Eddie Jordan, the charismatic Irish entrepreneur whose Formula One team gave Michael Schumacher a grand prix debut in 1991,has died of prostate cancer aged 76 at his home in South Africa, his family said on Thursday.

Jordan, who later became a television pundit,entered Formula One with his eponymous Silverstone-based team in 1991 and ran it until 2005. After multiple changes of name and ownership, it now competes as Aston Martin.

‘EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence,’ the family said in a statement.

They said Jordan had died in the early hours in Cape Town with his family beside him.

Born on March 30, 1948, Jordan competed in motor racing’s junior series before becoming a driver manager and then a team owner.

The F1 team and their lively publicity-seeking owner brought a ‘rock and roll’ image to the sport but were also serious about their racing, punching above their weight in beating long-established rivals.

Germany’s seven-times world champion Schumacher made his debut with them at the Belgian Grand Prix, and his brother Ralf raced for them in 1997 and 1998.

Britain’s Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion with Williams, was a race winner with Jordan in 1998 before retiring the next year.

‘He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow,’ said the family statement.

Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali, a former Ferrari team boss, said he was deeply saddened.

‘With his inexhaustible energy, he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times,’ said the Italian.

‘Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed.’

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Gareth Jones and Kevin Liffey)