March Madness 2021: Where to Watch and When
After 2020’s March Madness was canceled due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is now returning for this 2021! This year’s March Madness will still be great and exciting, but they will only be limiting the people who could watch the game live as per consideration with the global pandemic faced by all of us.
Usually, this spectacular sporting event is held at different locations in different regions across the country. But, there will be changes for this year as to where it would be held. It will be happening in Indianapolis. Now that everyone’s so excited to watch, Selection Sunday is also fast approaching. Thus, here is some relevant information to look out for.
What is Selection Sunday, and where can I watch it?
Selection Sunday are those teams that were ranked before any basketball tournament is played. Rank 1 is the best college basketball team, until 68th. The tournament’s Selection Committee will make the selection.
The Selection Committee carefully selects which field will be competing in the upcoming March Madness this year. And just like how they did it in the past years, results will be broadcasted on television. Make sure you don’t miss it out on March 14, Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m PT) on CBS and watch which teams could get it into the tournament.
Is there a date on when the first tournament will start?
This year, things will change a little due to the pandemic. The official start of March Madness will be the First Four. In a broader sense, the First four means that the players will play four games on the NCAA Tournament’s first Tuesday and Wednesday. This will be held on March 18, Thursday, and the second round will be held on Sunday, March 21, and Monday, March 22.
The Schedule of This Year’s March Madness
This January, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced that this year’s men’s basketball tournament would be held in Indiana, most in Indianapolis. Here’s a schedule for this year’s March Madness basketball championship:
|
Game |
Time |
Date |
Day |
Where to watch |
Venue |
| Selection Sunday | 6 p.pm. | March 14, 2021 | Sunday | CBS | |
| First Four | 4 p.m. | March 18, 2021 | Thursday | TruTV and TBS | Mackey Arena and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall |
| First Round | 12 p.m. | March 19, 2021 – March 20, 2021 | Friday and Saturday | CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Mackey Arena, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Second Round | 12 p.m. | March 21, 2021 – March 22, 2021 | Sunday and Monday | CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV | Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse,, and Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Sweet 16 | 2 p.m. | March 27, 2021 | Saturday | CBS (afternoon games) and TBS (primetime games) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse |
| 1 p.m. | March 28, 2021 | Sunday | CBS (afternoon games) and TBS (primetime games) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse | |
| Elite Eight | 7 p.m. | March 29, 2021 | Monday | CBS | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 6 p.m. | March 30, 2021 | Tuesday | TBS | Lucas Oil Stadium | |
| Final Four | 5 p.m. | April 3, 2021 | Saturday | CBS | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| NCAA Championship Game | 9 p.m. | April 5, 2021 | Monday | CBS | Lucas Oil Stadium |
Where will the tournament be held?
As stated recently, the entire basketball tournament for this year, 2021, will take place in Indiana, but mostly in Indianapolis. The NCAA venues will be in two court sides inside the home of the National Football League (NFL), the Lucas Oil Stadium, and the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Additionally, other venues include the Butler’s Stadium, the Hinkle Fieldhouse as well as in the home of the IUPUI Jaguars, the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, in West Lafayette Purdue’s arena at the Mackey Arena, and the home of the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Also, there will be designated hotel floors that will cater to each team’s needs.
What are the changes in selecting teams for March Madness?
For this year, just like any other event, March Madness 2021 will be handling the selection of teams a little differently since everything will be held in Indiana. Changes will be made to how the team brackets will be completed.
This time, the teams will be placed in brackets according to rankings without any consideration based on their geographical locations. This is termed the “S-curve.” It is referred to as the overall seed list in making bracketing decisions. Also, it is made and used by the event’s selection committee.
Where else can I watch the basketball tournament?
There are various networks available you could watch in, but things could be a little complicated. You may try some streaming channels such as Hulu and Youtube TV. You can also try NCAA March Madness Live. First, you have to select your TV provider, sign in by your username and password to access from your TV subscription, then enjoy unlimited shows from your device!
Takeaway
Everyone is glad that March Madness is back. Even though only limited fans are allowed to watch live, for sure, watching on television will make things work for you. If you’re an avid fan of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, listed above are the means and dates of how you could stay tuned in this year’s basketball game. Make sure to enjoy every bit of the moment!
