The NCAA has released information on the 2021 NCAA Tournament schedule, including television information for fans:
Start updating your calendar now: NCAA Tournament tip times for the upcoming postseason have landed. Featured are primetime slots for every Elite Eight game, standalone TV windows on CBS and TBS for all Sweet 16 games, and of course, an official date and time for the one-hour Selection Show where the official bracket will be revealed for the Big Dance.
The entire TV schedule for the 2021 NCAA Tournament can be found below.
The Selection Show will be held on Sunday, March 14 from 6-7 p.m. ET on CBS.
The First Four will take place on Thursday, March 18 with a 5 p.m. game on truTV and a 6:20 p.m. tip on TBS.
As previously announced, the 48 games that comprise the first and second rounds will start later than usual this year. With games starting at noon each day, the first round will be played on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 with the second round following on Sunday, March 21 and Monday, March 22. Games will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
The schedule has been organized so that there will be at least one game played from noon until nearly midnight across the four days of the first two rounds. Of course, second-round games will be spaced out a bit more given there will be half as many.
Sweet 16 games will air on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. CBS will broadcast the first two games in the afternoon on both days with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. TBS will televise two games in prime-time each night beginning at 7 p.m.
Elite Eight games — scheduled for Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 — will also be split by the channels. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. Monday on CBS and 6 p.m. Tuesday on TBS.
CBS will also provide coverage for this year’s Final Four on Saturday, April 3 and national championship game on Monday, April 5. Pregame coverage for the Final Four will begin at 2 p.m. with the first game set for 5 p.m. The title game will tip at 9 p.m.
Check out the full schedule is listed below. In total, CBS will broadcast 24 games, while Turner Sports will air 43 across its three networks (TBS, TNT and truTV). March Madness Live will again be your home for live streaming access to this year’s NCAA Tournament with all 67 games being aired live online.
2021 NCAA Tournament TV schedule
First Four
| THURSDAY, MARCH 18 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | 5 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 2 | 6:20 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 3 | 8:30 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 4 | 9:50 p.m. | TBS |
First round
| FRIDAY, MARCH 19 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 5 | Noon | CBS |
| Game 6 | 12:30 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 7 | 1 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 8 | 1:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 9 | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 10 | 3:20 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 11 | 3:50 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 12 | 4:20 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 13 | 6:15 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 14 | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 15 | 7 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 16 | 7:15 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 17 | 9:10 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 18 | 9:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 19 | 9:45 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 20 | 9:50 p.m. | TNT |
| SATURDAY, MARCH 20 | TIME | CHANNEL |
| Game 21 | Noon | CBS |
| Game 22 | 12:30 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 23 | 1 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 24 | 1:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 25 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 26 | 3:20 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 27 | 3:50 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 28 | 4:20 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 29 | 6:15 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 30 | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 31 | 7 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 32 | 7:15 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 33 | 9:10 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 34 | 9:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 35 | 9:45 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 36 | 9:50 p.m. | TNT |
Second round
| SUNDAY, MARCH 21 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 37 | Noon | CBS |
| Game 38 | 2:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 39 | 5 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 40 | 6 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 41 | 7 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 42 | 7:30 p.m. | truTV |
| Game 43 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 44 | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
| MONDAY, MARCH 22 | TIME | CHANNEL |
| Game 45 | Noon | CBS |
| Game 46 | 2:30p.m. | CBS |
| Game 47 | 5 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 48 | 6 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 49 | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 50 | 7:30 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 51 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 52 | 9:30 p.m. | CBS |
Sweet 16
| SATURDAY, MARCH 27 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 53 | 2:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 54 | 5 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 55 | 7:15 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 56 | 9:45 p.m. | TBS |
| SUNDAY, MARCH 28 | TIME | CHANNEL |
| Game 57 | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 58 | 4:45 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 59 | 7 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 60 | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
Elite Eight
| MONDAY, MARCH 29 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 61 | 7 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 62 | 9:45 p.m. | CBS |
| TUESDAY, MARCH 30 | TIME | CHANNEL |
| Game 63 | 7 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 64 | 9:45 p.m. | TBS |
Final Four
| SATURDAY, APRIL 3 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 65 | 5 p.m. | CBS |
| Game 66 | 8:30 p.m. | CBS |
National championship
| MONDAY, APRIL 5 | TIME | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|
| Game 67 | 9 p.m. | CBS |
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
