NCAA Tournament 2015 TV schedule: The first 4 days of March Madness
Perhaps the best event in American sports is the opening week of the NCAA Tournament. Now we know the tip times, television channels and announcers for the tourney’s first four days.
Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports
For some, the first four days of the NCAA Tournament are essentially national holidays -- non-stop basketball starting Thursday afternoon and continuing late into the night on Sunday. The packed schedule with multiple games at once and a fresh one starting as soon as one ends makes for some unproductive work days, but also the best time of the year for college hoops fans.
The top teams highlight the action and many will have their eyes on No. 1 seed Kentucky. The Wildcats are yet to lose this season and are the heavy favorite to win it all. Their path to do so will begin Thursday night when they play the winner of the play-in game between Manhattan and Hampton. While Kentucky will play on the opening day of the tournament, viewers have to wait a while to see them. Kentucky’s game isn’t scheduled to tip until 9:40 p.m. ET. The game will be on CBS, making it easy for viewers to find it. Other games won’t be as easy to locate with CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV combining to broadcast the first two rounds.
Some of the greatest moments in the NCAA tournament each year are remembered by the teams and players making them happen, but a great call from an announcer can also add to the highlight. With the NCAA Tournament set to officially begin on Tuesday night, it’s time to get acclimated with the men and women who will be calling this year’s action and the networks they will be on.
Here are the announcer pairings as well as the game times and television channels for the first and second rounds of the Big Dance (all times Eastern).
Tuesday, March 17 (First Round)
Game: Manhattan vs. Hampton, 6:40 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Game: BYU vs. Ole Miss, 9:10 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Wednesday, March 18 (First Round)
Game: Robert Morris vs. North Florida, 6:40 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
Game: Boise State vs. Dayton, 9:10 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
Thursday, March 19 (Second Round)
Game: Notre Dame vs. Northeastern, 12:15 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Game: Iowa State vs. UAB ,12:40 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
Game: Baylor vs. Georgia State, 1:40 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
Game: Arizona vs. Texas Southern, 2:10 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Rachel Nichols
Game: Butler vs. Texas, 2:45 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Game: SMU vs. UCLA , 3:10 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
Game: Xavier vs. BYU/Ole Miss, 4:10 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
Game: VCU vs. Ohio State, 4:40 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Rachel Nichols
Game: Villanova vs. Lafayette, 6:50 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Game: Cincinnati vs. Purdue, 7:10 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
Game: North Carolina vs. Harvard, 7:20 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
Game: Utah vs. Stephen F. Austin, 7:27 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Rachel Nichols
Game: N.C. State vs. LSU, 9:20 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Lewis Johnson
Game: Kentucky vs. Hampton/Manhattan, 9:40 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
Game: Arkansas vs. Wofford, 9:50 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
Game: Georgetown vs. Eastern Washington, 9:57 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Rachel Nichols
Realtime Bracket Game
Friday, March 20 (Second Round)
Game: Kansas vs. New Mexico State, 12:15 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Marv Albert/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Craig Sager
Game: Michigan State vs. Georgia, 12:40 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
Game: Northern Iowa vs. Wyoming, 1:40 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Spero Dedes/Mike Gminski//Jaime Maggio
Game: West Virginia vs. Buffalo, 2:10 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
Game: Wichita State vs. Indiana, 2:45 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Marv Albert/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Craig Sager
Game: Virginia vs. Belmont, 3:10 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
Game: Louisville vs. UC Irvine, 4:10 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Spero Dedes/Mike Gminski//Jaime Maggio
Game: Maryland vs. Valparaiso, 4:40 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
Game: Oregon vs. Oklahoma State, 6:50 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Marv Albert/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Craig Sager
Game: Duke vs. North Florida/Robert Morris, 7:10 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
Game: Iowa vs. Davidson, 7:20 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Spero Dedes/Mike Gminski//Jaime Maggio
Game: Oklahoma vs. Albany, 7:27 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
Game: Wisconsin vs. Coastal Carolina, 9:20 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Marv Albert/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Craig Sager
Game: San Diego State vs. St. John’s, 9:40 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
Game: Gonzaga vs. North Dakota State, 9:50 p.m., TNT
Announcers: Spero Dedes/Mike Gminski//Jaime Maggio
Game: Providence vs. Boise State/Dayton, 9:57 p.m., truTV
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Doug Gottlieb//Evan Washburn
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