INDIANAPOLIS, In.  — Circle March 18, 2021, on the calendar. For on this Thursday, the first four games of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship will tip-off.  

What You Need To Know

  • The First Four games will be played on March 18

  • First round games of the NCAA Tournament will begin on March 19

  • All of the tournament games will be played in Indiana

  • The Final Four is set for April 3

Earlier this month it was announced the entire tournament will be in Indiana, with 55 of the 67 games taking place in Indianapolis. The games will take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Lucas Oil Stadium, Mackey Arena, and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Assembly Hall in Bloomington and Mackey Arena in West Lafayette will each host two First Four games. The other first-round games on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20 will be played at the four main sites in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis venues will serve as sites for the remainder of the tournament. 

The exact game times have not been announced, but viewers will be able to see the games on TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV. 

“The 2021 March Madness schedule is primarily a function of the health and safety protocols for all participants, respecting conference tournaments, balancing time away from campus for college student-athletes, competitive considerations for a national championship and fan engagement during a relatively traditional tournament timetable,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “We are most appreciative of CBS Sports and Turner Sports for their collaboration and support of the tournament.”

Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse will host the Sweet 16 on March 27 and 28, with each of the eight games getting a television broadcast window. In the past, games would overlap one another in the early evening and evening sessions. This year, every Sweet 16 game will be played at separate times. 

Lucas Oil Stadium will host the Elite Eight games on March 29 and 30. The Final Four is set for Saturday and Monday, April 3 and 5, also at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

Selection Sunday is set for March 14 with the tournament beginning four days later.