What Time is March Madness Today? Thursday's Complete Guide

If you’ve been waiting for the real madness to begin, today is the day.

Thursday, March 19 marks the official start of the men’s First Round—and with 16 games packed into one day, you’re going to want to clear your schedule (or at least enable multi-screen view on your TV). Meanwhile, on the women’s side, the First Four wraps up tonight with two more play-in games before their First Round tips off tomorrow.

So whether you’re following your alma mater, tracking your bracket or just love the energy of March Madness, here’s everything you need to know about today’s action.

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Men’s March Madness Games Today: Thursday, March 19

The First Round games kick off today with 16 games spread across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. All times are Eastern. Here’s the full rundown!

Afternoon Games

• (8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCU — 12:15 p.m. on CBS
• (4) Nebraska vs. (13) Troy — 12:40 p.m. on truTV
• (6) Louisville vs. (11) South Florida — 1:30 p.m. on TNT
• (5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High Point — 1:50 p.m. on TBS
• (1) Duke vs. (16) Siena — 2:50 p.m. on CBS
• (5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeese — 3:15 p.m. on truTV
• (3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota State — 4:05 p.m. on TNT
• (4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawai’i — 4:25 p.m. on TBS

Tonight’s Games

• (6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCU — 6:50 p.m. on TNT
• (1) Michigan vs. (16) Howard — 7:10 p.m. on CBS
• (6) BYU vs. (11) Texas — 7:25 p.m. on TBS
• (7) Saint Mary’s vs. (10) Texas A&M — 7:35 p.m. on truTV
• (3) Illinois vs. (14) Penn — 9:25 p.m. on TNT
• (8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint Louis — 9:45 p.m. on CBS
• (3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw State — 10:00 p.m. on TNT
• (2) Houston vs. (15) Idaho — 10:10 p.m. on truTV

Related: Today’s Famous Celebrity Birthdays for March 19: Bruce Willis, Glenn Close

Women’s March Madness First Four Games Tonight: Thursday, March 19

The women’s First Four wraps up tonight with two more games:

• (16) Southern vs. (16) Samford — 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (hosted at Columbia, S.C.)
• (10) Virginia vs. (10) Arizona State — 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (hosted at Iowa City, Iowa)

The Southern-Samford winner advances to face No. 1 South Carolina in Saturday’s First Round, while the Virginia-Arizona State winner will take on No. 7 Georgia.

Related: ‘Brack to the Future’ and ‘Hoop, There It Is’—We’ve Got 75 Funny NCAA March Madness Bracket Names

How to Watch March Madness Today

Men’s tournament games air across four networks: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. All CBS games are also available to stream on Paramount+. (Note that you need the Paramount+ Premium tier for live CBS—the Essential subscription does not include it.) TBS, TNT and truTV games will stream on HBO Max.

The women’s games tonight air on ESPN2 and are available to stream on ESPN+. If you already have YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or DIRECTV STREAM, you’re covered. Otherwise, ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month) will get you every women’s game.

Players to Watch in Today’s March Madness Games

• Cameron Boozer — The Duke freshman sensation is the projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick and the biggest name in the tournament. Duke’s matchup with Siena at 2:50 p.m. on CBS is the marquee afternoon game.
• AJ Dybantsa, BYU — The 6-foot-9 freshman wing has electrified college hoops this season with his elite three-level scoring and pro-ready athleticism, cementing his status at the very top of NBA mock drafts. He’ll look to put on a show and keep BYU’s March Madness dreams alive when the No. 6 Cougars battle No. 11 Texas tonight at 7:25 p.m. on TBS.
• Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt — The sophomore guard broke out this season in a big way, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He’s lightning-quick with range and will look to lead the No. 5 Commodores past McNeese at 3:15 p.m. on truTV.
• Kymora Johnson, Virginia — The junior guard is one of the most dynamic playmakers in tonight’s games, averaging 19 points and nearly six assists per game. She’ll need to be at her best when Virginia faces Arizona State at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 with a spot in the First Round on the line. The winner takes on No. 7 Georgia on Saturday, March 21.
• Briana Rivera, Samford — The sophomore guard transferred from Austin Peay and immediately became one of the most dangerous shooters in the country. Rivera led all of Division I in three-pointers this season with 109—one of only two players in the nation to reach triple digits. She’ll look to keep that hot hand when Samford faces Southern at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Related: Wendy’s New March Madness ‘Dunks’ Menu Is Made for Frosty and French Fry Fans

When Are the Next March Madness Games?

Friday brings another 16-game First Round slate on the men’s side, plus the start of the women’s First Round. While women’s games will tip off throughout the day on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews, the men will broadcast on CBS, truTV, TBS and TNT.

Next, 45 March Madness Trivia Questions and Answers To Test Your Knowledge