March Madness 2025: Women’s and Men’s NCAA Tournaments Bring Early Upsets, Star Power, and High Stakes
March Madness is officially underway, and both the women’s and men’s NCAA Tournaments are already delivering upsets, standout performances, and packed brackets.
Oregon Pulls Upset, Kentucky Survives in Women’s Opening Round
The women’s tournament tipped off with a major upset as No. 10 seed Oregon edged out No. 7 Vanderbilt in overtime. Fourth-seeded Kentucky narrowly escaped an early exit, holding off No. 13 Liberty by just one point.
Saturday’s first-round slate features powerhouse programs, including No. 1 seeds USC and Texas, and No. 2 seeds UConn and NC State.
Women’s Basketball Continues to Dominate Viewership
Last year’s women’s NCAA championship game made history by drawing more viewers than the men’s title game for the first time ever. An average of 18.9 million people tuned in to watch undefeated South Carolina take down Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark.
Despite some top players like Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso heading to the WNBA, fan interest hasn’t slowed. This season, new stars like Paige Bueckers (UConn), JuJu Watkins (USC), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), and Madison Booker (Texas) are keeping audiences locked in.
The women’s tournament is also wide open. Four different teams held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 this season — tying an all-time record. For only the second time in 19 years, there are no teams entering the tournament with zero or just one loss.
Games to Watch: Women’s First Round
- UConn vs. Arkansas State: Paige Bueckers begins her final NCAA title run.
- Michigan State vs. Harvard: Spartans face a challenge from Harvard standout Harmoni Turner.
- USC vs. UNC-Greensboro: All eyes on JuJu Watkins following USC’s loss in the Big Ten title game.
Women’s Tournament Favorites
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the top four betting favorites are:
- South Carolina (defending champion)
- UConn
- UCLA
- USC
How to Watch the Women’s Tournament
Every game will be aired across ESPN’s family of networks and streaming services, with select matchups on ABC.
Men’s Tournament: Early Wins, Sweet 16 Spots Locked In
On the men’s side, Houston, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Tennessee have punched their tickets to the Sweet 16 after second-round victories. More teams will secure spots Sunday night, including top seeds Duke, Florida, Michigan State, and Alabama.
The top four seeds went a perfect 16-0 in the first round, marking the sixth time that’s happened since the field expanded in 1985. However, No. 2 seed St. John’s was knocked out in the second round by Arkansas.
Men’s Games to Watch
- Florida vs. UConn: UConn is chasing a third straight national title, while Florida, last to go back-to-back (2006-07), opened strong.
- Arizona vs. Oregon: A Pac-12 rivalry continues in Seattle after dominant first-round wins.
- Maryland vs. Colorado State: No. 12 seed Colorado State is the lowest seed left and looking to keep the run alive.
Men’s Tournament Favorites Still Standing
Top seeds Auburn and Houston are still in the hunt and remain among the favorites to win it all.
How to Watch the Men’s Tournament
Games air across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, along with digital streaming via Paramount+ and March Madness Live. The Final Four and national title game will be broadcast on CBS.
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Key Dates: Sweet 16 and Final Four
- Women’s Sweet 16: March 28–31 in Birmingham, AL, and Spokane, WA
- Men’s Sweet 16: March 27–30 in Newark, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Indianapolis, IN; and San Francisco, CA
- Women’s Final Four: April 4 in Tampa, FL | Championship: April 6
- Men’s Final Four: April 5 in San Antonio, TX | Championship: April 7
