Sports fans, rejoice! For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the March Madness we know and love is back. After completely skipping the NCAA Tournament in 2020, we were grateful for something in 2021, but if we’re being honest, it wasn’t quite the same. Beggars can’t be choosers, of course, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less excited for this year’s mostly-normal March Madness.
It’s time to get your viewing parties in order, gather your predictions, and get ready for a wild year in collegiate basketball. If you’re anything like us, you can practically feel the excitement buzzing through the air. And luckily for you, we’ve broken down this year’s schedule so you can take full advantage of everything March Madness has to offer.
When does March Madness 2022 start?
This year, March Madness will begin on March 15 with day one of the First Four games. That’s right, this year there will be two days of the First Four games instead of the one-day format from 2021.
Last year, due to the pandemic, the NCAA changed the regular two-day format that’s been around since 2011 to one day to accommodate for the extensive COVID-19 protocols in place for the players. (Each team was required to show seven straight days of negative COVID tests and in anticipation of hiccups, the NCAA chose to make the First Four games one day.)
Now that restrictions have relaxed, we will return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Below is a broken-down look at this year’s March Madness schedule, starting with the Selection Sunday and the First Four games all the way to the National Championship.
- Selection Sunday: March 13
- First Four: March 15 – 16
- Round 1: March 17 – 18
- Round 2: March 19 – 20
- Sweet 16: March 24 – 25
- Elite Eight: March 26 – 27
- Final Four: April 2
- National Championships: April 4
Where can I watch this year’s March Madness?
With multiple games airing simultaneously all over the country, it’s imperative to know where you can find March Madness on TV. Cable will be your best friend here, as these four cable networks will air the games live: CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV.
That being said, if you don’t have cable, don’t worry. There are still very viable (and reliable) options for you via streaming. March Madness is available to stream via ESPN Plus, Sling TV, and fuboTV. With fuboTV, you’ll get access to CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, which means all 67 games of the tournament will be available to you.