NCAA Men’s Tournament First Round Schedule

NCAA Men’s Tournament action officially tips off Tuesday night on ESPN (7:30pm ET) with the play-in game between Alabama State and Morehead State, a formality to determine who will get slaughtered by Louisville and Rick Pitino’s suit on Friday night. But the Big Dance is in full effect on Thursday at 12pm ET on CBS. The first-round games on Thursday and Friday are one of my favorite sports days of the year. Yeah, I’m stuck at the office, but not getting any work done is part of the whole tournament experience. (Just kidding. I’ll get work done … during timeouts.)

What’s great about the NCAA Tournament is that it’s one of the rare sports events that lets you watch everything live online with M*rch M*dness On Demand from CBS. It’s been awesome the past few years, and they’ve made it better — gone is the waiting room, and there’s going to be better quality video with the Silverlight player. Hopefully they’ll also get rid of the “Do you want to continue watching?” thing that pops up after every half-hour of inactivity. That sucks.

Full game schedules for Thursday and Friday first-round games:

THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 19 (12:00 Noon-5:00 PM, ET)
12:20 PM, Greensboro, LSU vs. Butler, Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
12:25 PM, Kansas City, Memphis vs. Cal. St. Northridge, Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
12:30 PM, Philadelphia, BYU vs. Texas A&M, Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
2:30 PM, Portland, Purdue vs. Northern Iowa, Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
approximately 2:50 PM, Greensboro, North Carolina vs. Radford, Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
approximately 2:55 PM, Kansas City, California vs. Maryland, Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
approximately 3:00 PM, Philadelphia, Connecticut vs. Chattanooga, Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
approximately 5 PM, Portland, Washington vs. Mississippi St., Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner (CBS College Sports Network)

THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 19 (7:00 PM-12:00 AM, ET)
7:10 PM, Greensboro, Texas vs. Minnesota, Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
7:10 PM, Kansas City, Clemson vs. Michigan, Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
7:20 PM, Philadelphia, Villanova vs. American, Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
7:25 PM, Portland, Gonzaga vs. Akron, Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
approximately 9:40 PM, Greensboro, Duke vs. Binghamton, Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
approximately 9:40 PM, Kansas City, Oklahoma vs. Morgan State, Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
approximately 9:50 PM, Philadelphia, UCLA vs. VCU, Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
approximately 9:55 PM, Portland, Illinois vs. Western Kentucky, Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 20 (12:00 Noon-5:00 PM, ET)
12:15 PM, Miami, Syracuse vs. Stephen F. Austin, Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
12:25 PM, Dayton, Oklahoma St. vs. Tennessee, Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
12:30 PM, Minneapolis, Kansas vs. North Dakota State, Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
12:30 PM, Boise, Marquette vs. Utah State, Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
approximately 2:45 PM, Miami, Arizona State vs. Temple, Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
approximately 2:55 PM, Dayton, Pittsburgh vs. E. Tennessee St., Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
approximately 3:00 PM, Minneapolis, West Virginia vs. Dayton, Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
approximately 3:00PM, Boise, Missouri vs. Cornell, Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel

FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 20 (7:00 PM-12:00 AM ET)
7:10 PM, Miami, Utah vs. Arizona, Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
7:10 PM, Dayton, Louisville vs. Alabama St./Morehead St., Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery (CBS College Sports Network)
7:20 PM, Minneapolis, Boston College vs. USC, Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
7:25 PM, Boise, Xavier vs. Portland State, Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
approximately 9:40 PM, Miami, Wake Forest vs. Cleveland State, Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
approximately 9:40 PM, Dayton, Ohio State vs. Siena, Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
approximately 9:50 PM, Minneapolis, Michigan State vs. Robert Morris, Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
approximately 9:55 PM, Boise, Florida State vs. Wisconsin, Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.