March Madness College Basketball Tournaments guide

Are you overwhelmed with all of the college basketball going on in March? Here is your guide to the multiple college basketball tournaments in 2025.
ByRyan Kay|
 “NCAA” branded basketball
“NCAA” branded basketball | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Here is a look at the various college basketball tournaments going in 2025.

The new college basketball tournament is the 16-team tournament in Las Vegas called the College Basketball Crown, which will start later in the month.

The tournament is trying to take over as the "second" best postseason college basketball tournament as a rival to the traditional NIT tournament.

Monday, March 31

  • Game 1: Butler (Big East) vs. Utah (Big 12)
  • Game 2: Boise State (Mountain West) vs. George Washington (A-10)
  • Game 3:Arizona State (Big 12) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten)
  • Game 4:Washington State (Pac-12) vs. Georgetown (Big East)

Tuesday, April 1

  • Game 5: Cincinnati (Big 12) vs. DePaul (Big East)
  • Game 6: UCF (Big 12) vs. Oregon State (Pac-12)
  • Game 7: Villanova (Big East) vs. Colorado (Big 12)
  • Game 8: USC (Big Ten) vs. Tulane (American Athletic)

The traditional tournament other than the main NCAA Tournament is the NIT tournament.

Tuesday, March 18 — First Round


St. Bonaventure (A-10) vs. Kent State (MAC)
Georgia Tech (ACC) vs. Jacksonville State (CUSA)
Middle Tennessee (CUSA) vs. Chattanooga (SoCon)
Arkansas State (Sun Belt) vs. Saint Louis (A-10)
Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. Wichita State (American Athletic)
Santa Clara (WCC) vs. UC Riverside (Big West)
Stanford (ACC) vs. CSUN (Big West)


Wednesday, March 19 — First Round

Dayton (A-10) vs. Florida Atlantic (American Athletic)
George Mason (A-10) vs. Samford (Southern)
Saint Joseph's (A-10) vs. UAB (American Athletic)
North Texas (American Athletic) vs. Furman (Southern)
Bradley (Missouri Valley) vs. North Alabama (ASUN)
SMU (ACC) vs. UNI (Missouri Valley)
UC Irvine (Big West) vs. Northern Colorado (Big Sky)
San Francisco (WCC) vs. Utah Valley (WAC)
San Jose State (Mountain West) vs. Loyola Chicago (A-10)

The NIT and the College Basketball Crown tournaments are basically Fox vs. ESPN in what appears to be the beginning of the Sports Network Streaming/TV war.

The College Basketball Invitational tournament, which is commonly referred to as the CBI, is largely considered the mid-major postseason tournament.

FIRST ROUND, March 23

  • Manhattan vs. UIW
  • Elon vs Army
  • Queens vs. Northern Arizona

QUARTERFINALS, March 24

  • Illinois State vs. Presbyterian (March 23) Jacksonville vs. Winner 1
  • Florida Gulf Coast vs. Winner 2
  • Cleveland State vs. Winner 3

The CIT tournament or the CollegeInsider.com tournament appears to not be running this year.

Finally, the primary and only college post-season tournament that matters is the NCAA Tournament.

Schedule

Schedule