If you’re a Vols basketball fan, this is likely not your first go-around with March Madness.
Neither the Tennessee men’s or women’s teams are strangers in the NCAA tournament. The men have competed 27 times and have been included in the bracket for the past seven years consecutively, according to the University of Tennessee. The Lady Vols have appeared in every NCAA Tournament.
The next weeks ought to be filled with thrilling upsets, rowdy fan bases and insane 3-pointers, all leading up to the national championship games on April 6 and 7.
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But if you’re new to this whole bracket business, don’t be intimidated. March Madness is for everyone, whether you skillfully select the final four candidates or choose each school’s fate based on the best mascot. (Don’t lie, we’ve all done it.)
Here’s everything you need to know to get in on the March Madness bracket action, basketball fan or not.
When does March Madness start?
While the First Four will play on March 18 and 19, the first round of March Madness does not officially start until Thursday, March 20, according to the NCAA.
For the women, the first four are set to play on March 19 and 20. The first round of the NCAA Tournament for women’s teams will begin on Friday, March 21.
Where to find March Madness bracket templates
Blank templates for the NCAA Tournament are available on the NCAA website for both men and women.
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If you’re looking to compete against your friends, family and coworkers, you may also choose to create a pool. You can find or make groups on USA Today, CBS, Yahoo!, ESPN or NCAA.
March Madness bracket 2025: Full NCAA Tournament first-round schedule
March Madness bracket: Printable 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament page for picks, predictions
What is the deadline to fill out March Madness brackets?
Here are the deadlines for March Madness brackets to be submitted for both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament.
Men’s NCAA Tournament
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CBS: Thursday, March 20 at noon
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Yahoo!: Thursday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m.
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ESPN: Thursday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m.
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NCAA: Thursday, March 20 at Noon
Women’s NCAA Tournament
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CBS: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
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Yahoo!: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
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ESPN: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
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NCAA: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
Tips: How to fill out your March Madness bracket
There’s no right or wrong way to fill out a March Madness bracket. After all, it’s all for the fun of the game.
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That being said if you’re looking to show up and show out on your 2025 bracket, here are a few tips from USA TODAY reporter Scooby Axson. Good luck!
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Underdogs rule the day: Pick at least one lower seed to make it to San Antonio because there are bound to be plenty of upsets, especially on the first weekend.
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Going chalk … not smart: In each of the last 11 tournaments, at least one No. 5 seed or lower has reached the Final Four, and only once has all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four.
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If all else fails, pray and pick blue: If you are on the clueless side of things, go with mostly higher seeds, then sprinkle in a few upsets, and choose a team logo with blue in it.
What is a seed?
Through the tournament, you’ll hear the word “seed” thrown around again and again. And no, it has nothing to do with gardening.
Every one of the 68 teams gets assigned a numerical ranking from one through 16, called a seed. This is the team’s regional ranking.
In the bracket, the highest-ranked team will face the lowest-seeded team, according to the NCAA. This is done so the strongest teams will play against one another at the end of a tournament rather than at the start.
How to stream March Madness?
The March Madness games will not all be airing on the same channels or networks, so it’s difficult to watch every men’s and women’s game this season. CBS games will stream on Paramont+, TBS, TNT and TruTV games are available on Max, while ESPN games on their platform.
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If you have cable, you can use your information to log into March Madness Live to watch all the games.
When does Tennessee play in March Madness?
The Vols will take on the Wofford Terriers on Thursday, March 20 at 6:50 p.m., according to the NCAA. The game will be shown on TNT.
The Lady Vols will play against South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 21. That game will be aired on ESPN.
Not into basketball? Join in on our ‘Meat Madness’ burger bracket
If you’re not a basketball fan, there are other ways to join in on the thrill of March Madness.
Try Knox News’ Meat Madness, where readers will choose their favorite local burger joints in Knoxville. The juicy reward? bragging rights for the best burger and a feature story about the champion. Voting is open now at knoxnews.com, so cast away!
Try Southern Kitchen’s Southern food-inspired bracket
If you’re not local to Knoxville or are a vegetarian, we’ve still got you covered. Vote in Southern Kitchen’s bracket to discover the best Southern food item.
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What’s better, hush puppies or banana puddin’? Chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy? You decide.
Voting is open now at southernkitchen.com.
USA Today reporters Scooby Axson and John Leuzzi contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: March Madness: How to fill out a bracket, when are brackets due?
