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What teams are in First Four of men's March Madness? Game times, where to watch

How to watch First Four games involving the UNC Tar Heels, Texas Longhorns, Xavier Musketeers and San Diego State Aztecs, among others.

Mark Giannotto   Paste BN
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There's no need to wait until Thursday for juicy March Madness storylines this year. The First Four games of the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket feature the controversial blueblood that barely got into the field, an SEC team that finished 6-12 in league play and two schools playing for the 13th time in 14 seasons.

The action starts Tuesday night at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. North Carolina's game against San Diego State for the No. 11 seed in the South region will be a focal point after criticism about the Tar Heels' inclusion over West Virginia, in particular. Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alabama State and Northeast Conference champion St. Francis meet in the opening game of the tournament Tuesday night, with Alabama State's Tony Madlock and St. Francis alum Rob Krimmel each serving as head coach in their first NCAA Tournament games after long careers.

The winner of North Carolina-San Diego State advances to face No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the round of 64. A matchup with South region No. 1 seed Auburn awaits the winner of Alabama State-St. Francis.

Wednesday's First Four games begin with a matchup between American and Mount St. Mary's, with campuses separated by about 60 miles and a regular non-conference matchup on the books most years since 2005. American has won the last four meetings and the winner this time will play No. 1 seed Duke. The final First Four game features Texas and Xavier playing for the No. 11 seed in the Midwest region, with the winner facing No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Here's a breakdown of the men's teams playing in the First Four at the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as well as the schedule of games taking place to get March Madness started this year:

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March Madness bracket 2025: What teams are in the First Four?

NCAA Tournament 2025 schedule: First Four game times

All times Eastern

Tuesday, March 18

  • No. 16 Alabama State vs. No. 16 Saint Francis, 6:40 p.m.
  • No. 11 North Carolina vs. No. 11 San Diego State, 9:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19

  • No. 16 American vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary's, 6:40 p.m.
  • No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 Xavier, 9:10 p.m.

March Madness 2025: How to watch NCAA Tournament First Four

Every First Four game at University of Dayton's UD Arena during the 2025 NCAA Tournament will be broadcast nationally on truTV via doubleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first game involving No. 16 seeds is scheduled to tip off at 6:40 p.m. ET each night, with a game involving No. 11 seeds to follow at approximately 9:10 p.m. ET. All games are also available to stream via Sling TV.

  • Date: March 18-19
  • Time: 6:40 and 9:10 p.m. ET
  • Location: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
  • TV: truTV
  • Streaming: Sling TV

Watch First Four March Madness games with Sling TV

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