The logistics of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament have led to a slight shift in the traditional Thursday-Sunday schedule of marathon action from the first and second rounds.
With participants requiring negative COVID-19 tests and quarantining upon arrival in the greater Indianapolis area, first-round games will instead start a day later, on Friday. The second round will take place on Sunday and Monday. Other than that, however, the viewing experience should not differ much.
Games will tip off both Friday and Saturday at 12:15 p.m. EST on CBS, and the final game for each day is scheduled for 9:57 p.m. — and will almost surely end on the other side of midnight.
The four play-in games, usually played on the Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of the tournament, will all be played Thursday.
NEED BRACKET HELP? WE GOT YOU:
***
Here is a complete look with game times for the First Four and the first round of March Madness.
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST FOUR: Thursday, March 18
Tip (ET), Network, Site, Game
5:10 p.m.: (16) Texas Southern vs. (16) Mount St. Mary’s, truTV
6:27 p.m.: (11) Drake vs. (11) Wichita St., TBS
8:40 p.m.: (16) Appalachian St. vs. (16) Norfolk St., truTV
9:57 p.m.: (11) UCLA vs. (11) Michigan St., TBS
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND: Friday, March 19
12:15 p.m.: (10) Virginia Tech vs. (7) Florida, CBS
12:45 p.m.: (14) Colgate vs. (3) Arkansas, truTV
1:15 p.m.: (16) Drexel vs. (1) Illinois, TBS
1:45 p.m.: (11) Utah St. vs. (6) Texas Tech, TNT
3:00 p.m.: (15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Ohio St., CBS
3:30 p.m.: (16) Hartford vs. (1) Baylor, truTV
4:00 p.m.: (9) Georgia Tech vs. (8) Loyola Chicago, TBS
4:30 p.m.: (12) Oregon St. vs. (5) Tennessee, TNT
6:25 p.m.: (13) Liberty vs. (4) Oklahoma St., TBS
7:10 p.m.: (9) Wisconsin vs. (8) North Carolina, CBS
7:15 p.m.: (15) Cleveland St. vs. (2) Houston, truTV
7:25 p.m.: (13) North Texas vs. (4) Purdue, TNT
9:20 p.m.: (10) Rutgers vs. (7) Clemson, TBS
9:40 p.m.: 11) Syracuse vs. (6) San Diego St., CBS
9:50 p.m.: (14) Morehead St. vs. (3) West Virginia, truTV
9:57 p.m.: (12) Winthrop vs. (5) Villanova, TNT
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND: Saturday, March 20
12:15 p.m.: (12) Georgetown vs. (5) Colorado, CBS
12:45 p.m.: (13) UNC Greensboro vs. (4) Florida St., truTV
1:15 p.m.: (14) Eastern Washington vs. (3) Kansas, TBS
1:45 p.m.: (9) St. Bonaventure vs. (8) LSU, TNT
3:00 p.m.: (16) Mount St. Mary’s/Texas So. vs. (1) Michigan, CBS
3:30 p.m.: (12) UC Santa Barbara vs. (5) Creighton, truTV
4:00 p.m.: (15) Iona vs. (2) Alabama, TBS
4:30 p.m.: (11) Wichita St./Drake vs. (6) USC, TNT
6:25 p.m.: (15) Grand Canyon vs. (2) Iowa, TBS
7:10 p.m.: (10) Maryland vs. (7) UConn, CBS
7:15 p.m.: (13) Ohio vs. (4) Virginia, truTV
7:25 p.m.: (9) Missouri vs. (8) Oklahoma, TNT
9:20 p.m. (16) Norfolk St./Appalachian St. vs. (1) Gonzaga, TBS
9:40 p.m.: (11) Michigan St./UCLA vs. (6) BYU, CBS
9:50 p.m.: (14) Abilene Christian vs. (3) Texas, truTV
9:57 p.m.: (10) VCU vs. (7) Oregon, TNT
Source link
