Selection Sunday March 14, 2027 · Title game April 5
How to watch the 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament — every game, every option
★ 67 games · 19 days · 68 teams
March 14 – April 5, 2027
Final Four + National Championship at Ford Field, Detroit · Title game Monday April 5
National Championship FREE on CBS
The 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament — March Madness — runs March 14 (Selection Sunday) through Monday April 5, 2027 (National Championship Game). 68 teams. 67 games. The entire tournament splits across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. The 2027 title game returns to CBS broadcast — FREE OTA with any antenna.
★ Quick answer
Coverage splits across CBS broadcast + TBS + TNT + truTV (cable). CBS games (including the Final Four + National Championship Game in 2027) are FREE OTA with any antenna. TBS/TNT/truTV require cable, Max with the B/R Sports add-on ($19.98/mo), or a live-TV streaming service like YouTube TV ($83) or Hulu+Live ($83).
Cheapest path to every game: $30 antenna + Max with B/R Sports ($19.98/mo) = $50 total. Cancel Max after April 5.
1The full schedule — 67 games over 19 days
From the Selection Show on March 14 through the National Championship Game on April 5, here's every round with broadcast info.
MAR14
Selection Sunday FREE
6 PM ET · 68-team field announced live during the Selection Show
CBS
MAR16-17
First Four (play-in games)
4 games at UD Arena, Dayton OH · 2 of the 16-seed matchups + 2 of the at-large matchups · winners advance to the main bracket
truTV
MAR19-20
First Round · 32 games CBS GAMES FREE
The opening weekend madness. 32 games over 2 days. Cinderella stories begin. CBS broadcast games free with antenna.
CBS+TBS+TNT+truTV
MAR21-22
Second Round · 16 games (Round of 32) CBS GAMES FREE
Winners advance to the Sweet 16. Marquee teams typically get CBS broadcast slots.
CBS+TBS+TNT+truTV
MAR25-26
Sweet 16 · 8 games CBS GAMES FREE
Regional semifinals at 4 regional sites · 4 games per night, Thursday + Friday
CBSTBS
MAR27-28
Elite 8 · 4 games CBS GAMES FREE
Regional finals · winners punch tickets to the Final Four · 2 games per night, Saturday + Sunday
CBSTBS
APR3
Final Four · 2 national semifinals FREE OTA
Saturday April 3 · Ford Field, Detroit · 2 games back-to-back from ~6 PM ET on CBS
CBS
APR5
★ National Championship Game TITLE GAMEFREE OTA
Monday April 5 · 9 PM ET · Ford Field, Detroit · 2027 is CBS's year in the CBS/Turner rotation
CBS
2The bracket — 4 regions · 16 seeds each
★ 68-team bracket structure
South region
16 seeds · regional semis + finals at TBD South region city
Seeds 1–16 · winner advances to Final Four
East region
16 seeds · regional semis + finals at TBD East region city
Seeds 1–16 · winner advances to Final Four
Midwest region
16 seeds · regional semis + finals at TBD Midwest region city
Seeds 1–16 · winner advances to Final Four
West region
16 seeds · regional semis + finals at TBD West region city
Seeds 1–16 · winner advances to Final Four
Final Four + National Championship
Ford Field · Detroit, Michigan
Saturday April 3 (Final Four) · Monday April 5 (Championship Game)
Teams populated post-Selection Sunday (March 14, 2027). This page auto-updates with the actual field once the Selection Show airs.
How the bracket works
68 teams total · 32 automatic bids (one per Division I conference champion) + 36 at-large bids selected by the NCAA Selection Committee
The committee seeds all 68 teams 1-68 overall, then splits into 4 regions of 16 (and assigns the 4 lowest at-large + 4 lowest auto-bid teams to the First Four)
Within each region: 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15, 3 vs 14, 4 vs 13, 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, 8 vs 9
Winners advance: First Round → Second Round → Sweet 16 → Elite 8 → Final Four → Championship
16-seeds have beaten 1-seeds only twice ever: UMBC over Virginia (2018), Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue (2023)
12-seeds have beaten 5-seeds approximately 36% of all time — the most famous "Cinderella" upset slot
3The 4 ways to watch — ranked cheapest
Rick's pick
📡 Antenna + Max + B/R Sports ~$50 total
Catches every single game. Antenna handles all CBS games including the Final Four + National Championship FREE. Max with B/R Sports add-on streams all TBS + TNT + truTV games — that's the other half of the tournament including the First Four.
$30 antenna (one-time) + $19.98/mo Max + B/R Sports
Cancel Max after April 5 → effective $20 for the tournament
Includes streaming of every NBA + NHL playoff game later in the spring
📡 Antenna only (FREE for ~half the games) $0/mo + ~$30 antenna
Catches every CBS game including the Final Four + National Championship. Misses the TBS/TNT/truTV games — that's the First Four + roughly half of the First and Second Round games.
CBS + TBS + TNT + truTV in every US market. 14-day free trial — perfectly timed if started March 10. Covers Selection Sunday through approximately Elite 8 Round.
Local CBS affiliate in every market
4K Plus add-on ($10) carries Final Four + Championship in 4K
CBS + TBS + TNT + truTV + bundled Disney+/ESPN+. Same channel coverage as YouTube TV, plus the Disney bundle which includes Hulu shows and ESPN+ year-round.
Probability of a perfect bracket: 1 in 9.2 quintillion (guessing randomly). Even using smart picks based on seeding and team strength: 1 in 120.2 billion. The longest verified streak of correct picks in NCAA bracket history was 49 games into the 2019 tournament (Gregg Nigl, an Ohio neuropsychologist).
Smart bracket strategies that beat random
Pick at least one 12-seed over a 5-seed. Historical hit rate: 36%. Picking at least one almost always lands.
Pick one Sweet 16 upset of a top-3 seed. A double-digit seed has made the Sweet 16 in every tournament since 2002.
Don't pick all four 1-seeds in the Final Four. Only happened ONCE in tournament history (2008). The math says it's a long shot most years.
For your champion, pick a 1, 2, or 3 seed. 36 of the last 40 champions have been a top-3 seed.
How most bracket pools score
Standard ESPN/Yahoo scoring: 10 points per First Round win, 20 per Second Round, 40 per Sweet 16, 80 per Elite 8, 160 per Final Four, 320 for the Champion. Picking the right champion is worth 320 points + the cumulative points from their entire bracket run. Most pools are decided by championship pick.
5History + records
First tournament: 1939 · 8 teams · Oregon won the first national championship at Patten Gym, Northwestern · the tournament moved to its current 68-team format in 2011
Most championships: UCLA (11) · Kentucky (8) · North Carolina (6) · Duke (5) · Indiana (5) · Kansas (4) · Connecticut (4)
John Wooden / UCLA dynasty: 10 championships in 12 years (1964-1975) · the most dominant run in college sports history · 88-game win streak from 1971-1974
Most famous upset: 1985 Villanova (8-seed) beating Georgetown for the title · 1983 NC State + Jim Valvano · 2018 UMBC over #1 Virginia (first 16-over-1)
The "Final Four" trademark: Coined by Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter Ed Chay in 1975 · the NCAA trademarked it in 1978 · is now one of the most valuable sports trademarks in the world
6Common questions
When is March Madness 2027?
Selection Sunday March 14, 2027. First Four March 16-17. First Round March 19-20. Second Round March 21-22. Sweet 16 March 25-26. Elite 8 March 27-28. Final Four April 3. National Championship Game April 5.
What channel is the 2027 NCAA Championship Game on?
CBS broadcast — free with antenna. The 2027 title game is CBS's turn (odd-year rotation in the CBS/Turner deal). Tipoff ~9 PM ET.
Can I watch March Madness for free?
Yes — about half. CBS broadcast games (including Final Four + National Championship in 2027) are free OTA with antenna. TBS/TNT/truTV games require cable, Max + B/R Sports, or a live-TV bundle.
What is the cheapest way to watch every game?
$30 antenna + Max with B/R Sports add-on ($19.98/mo) = $50 total. Cancel Max after April 5.
How many games are in March Madness?
67 games total. 4 First Four + 32 First Round + 16 Second Round + 8 Sweet 16 + 4 Elite 8 + 2 Final Four + 1 National Championship.
What is the First Four?
4 play-in games on the Tuesday + Wednesday after Selection Sunday. Always at UD Arena in Dayton, OH. Winners advance to the 64-team main bracket.
How do brackets work?
4 regions of 16 teams. Within each region: 1v16, 2v15, 3v14, 4v13, 5v12, 6v11, 7v10, 8v9. Winners advance through the bracket.
Where is the 2027 Final Four?
Ford Field in Detroit. Capacity ~65,000 in basketball configuration. Final Four April 3, National Championship April 5.
Highlights from recent editions on the official broadcast partners' YouTube channels. Click any thumbnail to play right here on the page.
📺
RECAP
Last year — 2026 Championship
Watch 2026 NCAA Championship Game highlights
Search YouTube for the latest official upload
📺
UPSETS
Best of
Greatest March Madness Cinderella moments
Search YouTube for the latest official upload
Last verified June 9, 2026 against NCAA + CBS / Turner Sports official schedule. CBS/Turner deal extends through 2032. Final Four venue (Ford Field) confirmed by NCAA. Bracket auto-updates post-Selection Sunday.
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