For the first time in nearly two calendar years, we will have March Madness.
The 2021 NCAA Tournament, the single-greatest postseason event in organized sports, will take place starting on Thursday, March 18; this, after it was the first major sporting event to be canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic last season. And, even as the pandemic hovers over the sports world, it seems the NCAA and host venues are better prepared to actually host the tournament this year.
Better late than never, right?
While there will be several changes to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, one constant is the fact only a handful of elite teams are expected to win the whole thing. That starts this season with Gonzaga, the only remaining undefeated team. The Bulldogs are the clear No. 1 seed. And while there are a host of "good" teams in this year's field, they are still a distance behind the Bulldogs.
Just another opportunity for a Cinderella to make history in what will be a historic tournament simply for being played.
Sporting News has you covered on how to watch March Madness 2021, including start and end dates, TV schedule, streaming options, venues, updated betting odds and more.
MORE: Watch select March Madness games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
March Madness bracket 2021
NCAA Tournament schedule 2021
- Start date: Thursday, March 18 (First Four)
- End date : Monday, April 5 (national championship game)
The 2021 NCAA Tournament — comprised of the First Four, Rounds 1 and 2, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship game — will begin Thursday, March 18 and conclude on Monday, April 5.
Here is the full schedule for March Madness 2021:
| Round | Dates |
| First Four | March 18 |
| Round 1 | March 19-20 |
| Round 2 | March 21-22 |
| Sweet 16 | March 27-28 |
| Elite Eight | March 29-30 |
| Final Four | April 3 |
| National championship | April 5 |
When is the First Four?
The 2021 First Four games will all take place on March 18, as opposed to its previous two-day format. Eight teams — the four lowest-seeded automatic and at-large bids — will take part in the play-in games, which grants access to the tournament proper.
- Date: Thursday, March 18
- Time: 5: 10 p.m. ET start time
- TV channel: TBS, TruTV
- Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live
When is the Final Four?
The 2021 NCAA Tournament ends with the Final Four and national championship on April 3 and 5, respectively. All games will take place in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Unlike previous tournaments — which featured regional finals in four separate cities before teams convened for the Final Four host city — the final three rounds will all take place in the same stadium.
- Dates: April 3, 5
- Time: 5 p.m. ET start time
- TV channel: CBS
- Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial)
First Four
Thursday, March 18
| Game 1: No. 16 Texas Southern 60, No. 16 Mount St Mary's 52 |
| Game 2: No. 11 Drake 53, No. 11 Wichita State 52 |
| Game 3: No. 16 Norfolk State 54, No. 16 Appalachian State 53 |
| Game 4: No. 11 UCLA 86, No. 11 Michigan State 80 |
Round 1
Friday, March 19
| No. 7 Florida 75, No. 10 Virginia Tech 70 (OT) |
| No. 3 Arkansas 85, No. 14 Colgate 68 |
| No. 1 Illinois 78, No. 16 Drexel 49 |
| No. 6 Texas Tech 65, No. 11 Utah State 53 |
| No. 15 Oral Roberts 75, No. 2 Ohio State 72 (OT) |
| No. 1 Baylor 79, No. 16 Hartford 55 |
| No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 9 Georgia Tech 60 |
| No. 12 Oregon State 70, No. 5 Tennessee 56 |
| No. 4 Oklahoma State 69, No. 13 Liberty 60 |
| No. 9 Wisconsin 85, No. 8 North Carolina 62 |
| No. 2 Houston 87, No. 15 Cleveland State 56 |
| No. 13 North Texas 78, No. 4 Purdue 69 (OT) |
| No. 10 Rutgers 60, No. 7 Clemson 56 |
| No. 11 Syracuse 78, No. 6 San Diego State 62 |
| No. 3 West Virginia 84, No. 14 Morehead State 67 |
| No. 5 Villanova 73, No. 12 Winthrop 63 |
Saturday, March 20
| Game 21: No. 5 Colorado 96, No. 12 Georgetown 73 |
| Game 22: No. 4 Florida State 64, No. 13 UNC Greensboro 54 |
| Game 23: No. 3 Kansas 93, No. 14 Eastern Washington 84 |
| Game 24: No. 8 LSU 76, No. 9 St. Bonaventure 61 |
| Game 25: No. 1 Michigan 82, No. 16 Texas Southern 66 |
| Game 26: No. 5 Creighton 63, No. 12 UC Santa Barbara 62 |
| Game 27: No. 2 Alabama 68, No. 15 Iona 55 |
| Game 28: No. 6 USC 72, No. 11 Drake 56 |
| Game 29: No. 2 Iowa 86, No. 15 Grand Canyon 74 |
| Game 30: No. 10 Maryland 63, No. 7 UConn 54 |
| Game 31: No. 13 Ohio 62, No. 4 Virginia 58 |
| Game 32: No. 8 Oklahoma 72, No. 9 Missouri 68 |
| Game 33: No. 1 Gonzaga 98, No. 16 Norfolk State 55 |
| Game 34: No. 11 UCLA 73, No. 6 BYU 62 |
| Game 35: No. 14 Abilene Christian 53, No. 3 Texas 52 |
| Game 36: No. 7 Oregon, No. 10 VCU (no contest) |
Round 2
Sunday, March 21
| Game |
| Game 37: No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 1 Illinois 58 |
| Game 38: No. 1 Baylor 76, No. 9 Wisconsin 63 |
| Game 39: No. 11 Syracuse 75, No. 3 West Virginia 72 |
| Game 40: No. 3 Arkansas 68, No. 6 Texas Tech 66 |
| Game 41: No. 2 Houston 63, No. 10 Rutgers 60 |
| Game 42: No. 15 Oral Roberts 81, No. 7 Florida 78 |
| Game 43: No. 5 Villanova 84, No. 13 North Texas 61 |
| Game 44: No. 12 Oregon State 80, No. 4 Oklahoma State 70 |
Monday, March 22
| No. 7 Oregon 95, No. 2 Iowa 80 |
| No. 1 Gonzaga 87, No. 8 Oklahoma 71 |
| No. 11 UCLA 67, No. 14 Abilene Christian 47 |
| No. 5 Creighton 72, No. 13 Ohio 58 |
| No. 1 Michigan 86, No. 8 LSU 78 |
| No. 4 Florida State 71, No. 5 Colorado 53 |
| No. 2 Alabama 96, No. 10 Maryland 77 |
| No. 6 USC 85, No. 3 Kansas 51 |
Sweet 16
Saturday, March 27
| Game 53: No. 12 Oregon State 65, No. 8 Loyola Chicago 58 |
| Game 54: No. 1 Baylor 62, No. 5 Villanova 51 |
| Game 55: No. 3 Arkansas 72, No. 15 Oral Roberts 70 |
| Game 56: No. 2 Houston 62, No. 11 Syracuse 46 |
Sunday, March 28
| Game 57: No. 1 Gonzaga 83, No. 5 Creighton 65 |
| Game 58: No. 1 Michigan 76, No. 4 Florida State 58 |
| Game 59: No. 11 UCLA 88, No. 2 Alabama 78 (OT) |
| Game 60: No. 6 USC 82, No. 7 Oregon 68 |
Elite Eight
Monday, March 29
| Game 61: No. 2 Houston 67, No. 12 Oregon State 61 |
| Game 62: No. 1 Baylor 81, No. 3 Arkansas 72 |
Tuesday, March 30
| Game 63: No. 1 Gonzaga 85, No. 6 USC 66 |
| Game 64: No. 11 UCLA 51, No. 1 Michigan 49 |
Final Four
Saturday, April 3
| Game 65: No. 1 Baylor 78, No. 2 Houston 59 |
| Game 66: No. 1 Gonzaga 93, No. 11 UCLA 90 (OT) |
NCAA Tournament national championship
Monday, April 5
Game 67: No. 1 Baylor 86, No. 1 Gonzaga 70
How to watch March Madness 2021 live
CBS and Turner Sports stations (TBS, TNT and truTV) will split broadcast duties of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with Turner Sports airing 43 games (20 for TBS, 12 for TNT and 11 for truTV) to CBS' 24.
CBS has broadcast rights for both the Final Four and national title game, despite the fact Turner Sports couldn't broadcast those rounds in 2020 due to the tournament's cancellation (a 2016 contract allows the stations to split the Final Four and national championship rights on an every-other-year rotation).
| Round | TV channel |
| First Four | TBS, truTV |
| Round 1 | CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV |
| Round 2 | CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV |
| Sweet 16 | CBS, TBS |
| Elite Eight | CBS, TBS |
| Final Four | CBS |
| National championship | CBS |
CBS and Turner Sports have yet to release their announcer pairings for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
2021 NCAA Tournament streaming options
Every game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament can be streamed via NCAA March Madness Live; other streaming options include CBS' streaming service, which will rebrand as Paramount+ on March 4, and fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
| Round | Live stream |
| First Four | NCAA March Madness Live |
| Rounds 1-2 | NCAA March Madness Live , Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
| Sweet 16 | NCAA March Madness Live , Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
| Elite Eight | NCAA March Madness Live , Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
| Final Four | NCAA March Madness Live , Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
| National championship | NCAA March Madness Live , Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
Where is March Madness 2021?
The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be held entirely in the state of Indiana, with the majority of games taking place in the greater Indianapolis area. That's part of an effort to minimize travel by teams and keep a consistent protocol in place for COVID-19 testing.
That starts with the First Four, which will take place in Mackey Arena and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall; those venues will feature alongside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium (all in Indianapolis) in the first and second rounds. Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse will serve as Sweet 16 venues.
Lucas Oil Stadium concludes the tournament in the Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship rounds. Each venue will feature two courts to play games.
Below is a full rundown on the sites and locations of the NCAA Tournament:
*Indicates venue will host only first-round games
| Round | Location | Site |
| First Four | West Lafayette, Ind. | Mackey Arena |
| Bloomington, Ind. | Assembly Hall | |
| Rounds 1-2 | West Lafayette, Ind. | Mackey Arena* |
| Bloomington, Ind. | Assembly Hall* | |
| Indianapolis | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | |
| Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||
| Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||
| Lucas Oil Stadium | ||
| Sweet 16 | Indianapolis | Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
| Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||
| Elite Eight | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Final Four | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium |
MORE MARCH MADNESS:
Best upsets | Pivotal moments | Greatest buzzer-beaters
Odds to win March Madness 2021
While 64 teams have an equal chance to win the NCAA Tournament at its start, only a handful of teams can make a legitimate run to the national championship. Those teams are led by Gonzaga at +200 odds; Baylor and Michigan are in second at +600.
Below are the teams most like to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament (as of Sunday, March 14):
- Gonzaga (+200)
- Baylor (+600)
- Michigan (+600)
- Illinois (+700)
- Iowa (+1600)
- Houston (+1800)
- Alabama (+2100)
- Ohio State (+2400)
- Florida State (+3000)
- Oklahoma State (+3000)
- Virginia (+3000)
- UConn (+3200)
- Arkansas (+4200)
- Creighton (+4200)
- Kansas (+4200)
- Purdue (+4200)
- Texas (+4200)
- Texas Tech (+4200)
- West Virginia (+4200)
- Wisconsin (+4200)
MARCH MADNESS MEMORIES:
Thrill of victory | Agony of defeat
Future March Madness locations, host sites
Assuming the COVID-19 pandemic comes under control by the start of March Madness 2022, it will take place across several cities over the course of the NCAA Tournament. Each tournament over the next several years will have new venues for the Final Four and national championship games.
Here are the future sites and locations for future Final Fours:
| Year | City | Final Four host site |
| 2022 | New Orleans | Mercedes-Benz Superdome |
| 2023 | Houston | NRG Stadium |
| 2024 | Phoenix | State Farm Stadium |
| 2025 | San Antonio | Alamodome |
| 2026 | Indianapolis | Lucas Oil Stadium |
NCAA Tournament 2021 tickets
The NCAA on Feb. 19 announced it would allow 25 percent capacity for NCAA Tournament games, including players, coaches, essential staff, visiting family members and a reduced number of fans. The NCAA later specified that exact capacity percentages would vary by site and venue, depending on capacity and COVID-19 mandates. Moreover, any fans in attendance will be required to wear face coverings and physically distance at the event.
“We continue to use the knowledge we have gained over the season on how to conduct games in a safe environment,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in. a statement. “I want to thank our host universities and conferences, the Indiana State Health Department, and the leaders in the Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe county health departments as they help make that possible.”
First Four tickets through the NCAA are no longer available, though the NCAA does have options to buy tickets starting with the first and second rounds. Below are the dates to buy tickets through the organization for each of the ensuing rounds, from the Sweet 16 through the Elite Eight:
Ticket portals open at 10 a.m. ET
- Sweet 16: Tuesday, March 16
- Elite Eight: Tuesday, March 16
More March Madness news by Sporting News
Need a fix on March Madness content before the 2021 NCAA Tournament? Sporting News has you covered:
- Changes to March Madness schedule could create greatest day (or days) in NCAA Tournament history
- Inside the Madness: 80 years of Final Four memories
- Upset City: Reliving the Wildest Opening Venue in Tournament History
- An Oral History of Steph Curry's Breakout Party
- '40 Minutes of Hell' to Hog Heaven: Memories from Arkansas' 1994 NCAA Tournament run
- Mario Chalmers' shot vs. Memphis still resonates
- March Madness 2018: Ranking the Top 16 #fa*ganJinx upsets
NCAA Tournament winners
UCLA leads all men's college basketball programs with 11 national championships, followed by blue bloods Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke.
Virginia is the last team to win the NCAA Tournament, securing its first title in program history in 2019. No team claims the 2020 national championship.
| School | National titles | Most recent | Runner-up finishes |
| UCLA | 11 | 1995 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 2012 | 4 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 2017 | 5 |
| Duke | 5 | 2015 | 6 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1987 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 2014 | 0 |
| Kansas | 3 | 2008 | 6 |
| Villanova | 3 | 2018 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 2 | 1962 | 1 |
| Florida | 2 | 2007 | 1 |
| Louisville | 2 | 1986 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 2 | 2000 | 1 |
| North Carolina State | 2 | 1983 | 0 |
| Oklahoma State | 2 | 1946 | 0 |
| San Francisco | 2 | 1956 | 0 |
| Arizona | 1 | 1997 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 1994 | 1 |
| Baylor | 1 | 2021 | 1 |
| California | 1 | 1959 | 1 |
| City College of New York | 1 | 1950 | 0 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 1984 | 3 |
| Holy Cross | 1 | 1947 | 0 |
| La Salle | 1 | 1954 | 0 |
| Loyola (Ill.) | 1 | 1963 | 0 |
| Marquette | 1 | 1977 | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 | 2002 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1960 | 4 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1939 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 1942 | 0 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 2003 | 2 |
| UNLV | 1 | 1990 | 0 |
| Utah | 1 | 1944 | 1 |
| UTEP | 1 | 1966 | 0 |
| Virginia | 1 | 2019 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1941 | 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1943 | 0 |
