It’s the appetizer before the main course as the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments get underway with the First Four games, beginning Tuesday.
The 68-team fields will be set on Selection Sunday and eight men’s and women’s schools have a little housekeeping to do before they get to the more traditional bracket setup.
The madness will begin this year’s quest to reach the Final Four – for the men, it’s in Phoenix; for the women, it’s in Cleveland.
To read more about how Selection Sunday unfolds and where teams land in the brackets, follow along here.
SELECTION SUNDAY LIVE: Read more about how Selection Sunday unfolds and where teams land in the brackets
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize
When is men’s First Four?
The men’s First Four will take place with two games on Tuesday, March 19 and two games on Wednesday, March 20 in Dayton, Ohio.
How to watch men’s First Four
The men’s First Four games are scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They will be broadcast live on TruTV, with Spero Dedes handling the play-by-play, Jim Spanarkel handling the analysis and Jon Rothstein reporting.
Which teams are in the men’s First Four?
Tuesday, March 19: Colorado State (24-10) vs. Virginia (23-10) for the No. 10 seed in the Midwest. The winner will face No. 7 Texas on Thursday, March 21.
Tuesday, March 19: Wagner (16-15) vs. Howard (18-16) for the No. 16 seed in the West. The winner will face No. 1 North Carolina on Thursday, March 21.
Wednesday, March 20: Colorado (24-10) vs. Boise State (22-10) for the No. 10 seed in the South. The winner will face No. 7 Florida on Friday, March 22.
Wednesday, March 20: Grambling State (20-14) vs. Montana State (17-17) for the No. 16 seed in the Midwest. The winner will face No. 1 Purdue on Friday, March 22.
When is women’s First Four?
The women’s First Four will take place with two games on Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21. The sites of the women’s First Four games will be held at the home courts of four of the top 16 national seeds.
How to watch the women’s First Four
The women’s First Four games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. The TV schedule and the announcers have not yet been revealed.