The first full day of NCAA basketball tournament games holds a Christmas Day feel for many as the anticipation often matches the excitement of what actually transpires. Thursday is traditionally the first full day of March Madness games and that is the case for 2023. First day games will be held on Thursday, March 16. Below is the Thursday schedule with start times for each Round 1 game. First round matchups were announced on Selection Sunday.
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NCAA Tournament Schedule for Thursday March 16
The first full day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament will take place on Thursday, March 16. View March Madness TV start times for every game on the first day schedule below.
- West Virginia vs. Maryland: 12 p.m. ET, CBS
- Furman vs. Virginia: 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV
- Utah State vs. Missouri: 1:40 p.m. ET, TNT
- Howard vs. Kansas: 2 p.m., TBS
- TBD vs. Alabama: 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS
- Charleston vs. San Diego State: 3:10 p.m. ET, truTV
- Princeton vs. Arizona: 4:10 p.m. ET, TNT
- Illinois vs. Arkansas: 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS
- Auburn vs. Iowa: 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT
- Oral Roberts vs. Duke: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
- Colgate vs. Texas: 7:25 p.m. ET, TBS
- Boise State vs. Northwestern: 7:35 p.m. ET, truTV
- Northern Kentucky vs. Houston: 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT
- Louisiana vs. Tennessee: 9:40 p.m. ET, CBS
- Penn State vs. Texas A&M: 9:55 p.m. ET, TBS
- UNC Asheville vs. UCLA: 10:05 p.m. ET, truTV
Round 1 games played on Thursday, March 16 will be held at the following locations.
- Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama
- Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa
- Amway Center in Orlando, Florida
- Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California
CBS and Turner Sports will once again collaborate on the broadcast coverage of March Madness. Announcers like Jim Nantz, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Greg Gumbel and Bill Raftery will once again be part of the show.
NCAA Tournament betting
Betting on the NCAA tournament has never been easier. You can legally bet on game lines, futures, props and more.
Below are NCAA tournament lines for every game in the first round of the tournament, including the Thursday March Madness games listed above.
