Dayton’s First Four Sets the Stage for a Wild Round of 64
It’s Thursday, and March Madness is officially in full swing! After two electrifying days of First Four action in Dayton, Ohio, the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament kicks off its First Round today, with 32 games spread across eight host cities. The field of 68 has been trimmed to 64, brackets are locked, and fans are ready for the chaos, upsets, and unforgettable moments that define this annual spectacle. Whether you’re a die-hard college hoops fan or just here for the bracket drama, today marks the true start of the madness.
Where We Stand Today
Today’s slate features 16 games, with another 16 tipping off tomorrow, March 21. Host cities like Lexington, Kentucky; Providence, Rhode Island; Seattle; Wichita, Kansas; Cleveland; Denver; Milwaukee; and Raleigh, North Carolina, are buzzing as teams take the court. From early afternoon to late tonight, every matchup is a do-or-die battle—win and advance, lose and go home.
Fresh Faces and Familiar Foes
This year’s tournament welcomes some newcomers to the dance. High Point (Big South), UC San Diego (Big West), SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley), and Omaha (Summit League) are all making their March Madness debuts, with UC San Diego’s first-year Division I eligibility adding a historic twist. Lipscomb (ASUN) is back for just their second appearance ever, and Saint Francis (NEC) returns for the first time since 1991. These underdogs join the usual powerhouses, setting up classic David-vs.-Goliath showdowns that could shake up brackets everywhere.
As the First Round begins, all eyes are on the top seeds and potential Cinderella stories. Will a No. 16 seed pull off a rare upset? Will a mid-major steal the show? Today’s games will start answering those questions.
How to Catch the Action
No game will go unwatched, thanks to wall-to-wall coverage on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Streaming is seamless with Paramount+ (for CBS games) and Max (for TBS, TNT, and truTV broadcasts). The NCAA March Madness Live app is your command center, offering multiview options to track multiple games at once and a “Fast Break” feature for whiparound coverage of the day’s biggest moments. Whether you’re at home, at work, or on the road—yes, it supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—there’s no excuse to miss a buzzer-beater.
After today and tomorrow’s First Round frenzy, the Second Round follows on March 22-23, cutting the field to the Sweet 16. From there, the regional semifinals and finals (March 27-30) take place in Newark (East), Atlanta (South), Indianapolis (Midwest), and San Francisco (West). The survivors head to San Antonio, Texas, for the Final Four on April 5, with the national championship game crowning a winner on April 7 at the Alamodome. It’s a grueling, exhilarating journey, and it all starts today.
Why Today Matters
March 20 is when March Madness truly explodes. The First Round is infamous for its unpredictability—think No. 15 seeds toppling No. 2s or last-second heroics rewriting the script. The NCAA defines an upset as a win by a team seeded at least five lines below its opponent, and history shows these moments happen most often in these opening days. For every dominant performance by a top seed, there’s a chance for an unknown squad to become a household name.
So, as the first tip-offs approach this afternoon, settle in for a day of high-stakes hoops. Your bracket might already be doomed by tonight—or you might be riding the high of a perfect start. Either way, March Madness 2025 is here, and today is just the beginning of the wild ride to San Antonio. Let the games begin!
