The countdown to March Madness is on.
The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament will begin next week. Tens of thousands will fill out those brackets in hopes of winning the office poll or at least a bit of respect after the matchups are set on Selection Sunday.
Who will win it all? UConn is a trendy pick to claim a sixth overall title and become the first team to repeat as NCAA champion since Florida in 2006-07. But there are no obviously dominant teams this year and it could be a wild ride again; last year’s Final Four, remember, included two 5 seeds (Miami and San Diego State), the fourth-seeded Huskies and 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
Get ready: The tournament tips off with the First Four on March 19 and the first round begins March 21.
HOW TO WATCH
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.
The NCAA is streaming games via its March Madness Live option.
BETTING GUIDE
The top three betting favorites heading into the final days of the regular season (in order) are UConn, Houston and Purdue, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
WHO IS PLAYING?
There are 32 automatic bids being filled this week and they will be combined with 36 at-large picks by the NCAA selection committee. We all find out on Selection Sunday, March 17, when bracket matchups are unveiled.
WHEN ARE THE GAMES?
The First Four is in Dayton, Ohio, and first- and second-round games March 21-24 stretch from New York City to Spokane, Washington.
Sweet 16 weekend will see games March 28-31 in Boston (East Regional), Dallas (South), Detroit (Midwest) and Los Angeles (West).
The Final Four is in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, with the championship game the night of Monday, April 8.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
