It’s officially March Madness time. After the First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first full day of the NCAA tournament kicks off on Thursday with 16 men’s games spread out over 12 hours. Creighton and Louisville get things started in the first game of the day, while Texas Tech and UNC Wilmington will wrap up the opening day of action late tonight.
Here’s how Thursday’s schedule will unfold (all times Eastern, scroll for live updates).
Thursday’s schedule of games
12:15 p.m.: No. 9 Creighton vs. No. 8 Louisville (CBS)
12:40 p.m.: No. 13 High Point vs. No. 4 Purdue (TruTV)
1:30 p.m.: No. 14 Montana vs. No. 3 Wisconsin (TNT)
Follow along below for live reaction, highlights and more from Yahoo Sports:
Live29 updates
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM EDT
HALFTIME: Purdue 37, High Point 27
No. 13 seed High Point was able to hang with No. 4 Purdue for a bit, but the Boilermakers have been relentless on the glass, with 28 rebounds to the Panthers’ 12 (including 12-2 Purdue offensively). Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn lead Purdue with 10 points each, while D’Maurian Williams leads High Point with 7 points off the bench.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM EDT
UC San Diego borrows from Ohio State, crosses out ‘M’s before facing Michigan
UC San Diego fans are borrowing a tradition from Ohio State.
They’re covering up or crossing out ‘Ms’ on signs across campus ahead of the Tritons’ first-round NCAA tournament matchup against Michigan on Thursday night.
UC San Diego fans are crossing out ‘Ms’ on campus in advance of the Tritons’ first-round NCAA tournament matchup against Michigan on Thursday night.
The above photo is one of a handful from a Reddit/UCSD thread posted earlier this week. Twelfth-seeded UC San Diego is making its NCAA tournament debut in its first year of postseason eligibility after transitioning from Division II.
Credit UC San Diego students for the show of school spirit, but the Tritons should know this tradition has not worked out well for Ohio State football fans in recent years. The Wolverines have defeated the Buckeyes four straight times, including a stunning 13-10 upset last November.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:31 PM EDT
Wisconsin-Montana now underway
Meanwhile, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 14 Montana has tipped. The Badgers are 16.5-point favorites in the East region first-round matchup after losing in the Big Ten title game on Sunday.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM EDT
Purdue pouring it on at the end of the first half
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM EDT
Can Louisville mount a comeback?
The Bluejays have simply outclassed the Cardinals so far in their first-round 8-9 matchup. Creighton is shooting 56.7% percent from the field and about the same from 3-point range.
Louisville is going to need to make an effort defensively if it’s going to have a shot at a comeback. It’ll also need to find some offensive help for Chuckie Hepburn, who has carried the Cardinals thus far with 18 points.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM EDT
Is Purdue starting to pull away?
Purdue is up eight on High Point, with Braden Smith leading the way with 10 points. The Boilermakers are shooting 41.9 percent from the field.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:13 PM EDT
McNeese’s student manager is ready for the Madness
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM EDT
Purdue vs. High Point is close midway through the first half
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 1:06 PM EDT
Creighton takes a big 49-34 lead into halftime
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM EDT
Creighton is rolling in the final minutes of the first half, with a Jackson McAndrew 3-pointer cementing a 15-point lead.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:53 PM EDT
Impressive run by Louisville’s Khani Rooths
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:46 PM EDT
High Point vs. Purdue is underway
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:41 PM EDT
Bettor wagers $500K on Duke to win the title at BetMGM
Click the photo above to read the story. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:40 PM EDT
Cooper Flagg is officially active for Duke’s opening-round game
Cooper Flagg is a go for the NCAA tournament.
Duke announced that Flagg would be able to play in Friday’s first-round game against Mount St. Mary’s. Flagg suffered a left ankle injury in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech and didn’t play in the semifinals or finals for the Blue Devils.
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:32 PM EDT
Ryan Kalkbrenner is fired up for Creighton
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM EDT
Chucky Hepburn has 5 points early
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:17 PM EDT
First points of March Madness scored by Creighton
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:16 PM EDT
Here we go!
Thu, March 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM EDT
CBS crew pays tribute to Greg Gumbel ahead of NCAA tournament
Beautiful tribute from @TurnerSportsEJ and the CBS crew to open up March Madness with a segment honoring Greg Gumbel. He really was synonymous with this event.
发表回复