The madness of March is finally here, as the NCAA Tournament gets rolling on Tuesday with the First Four.
Meaning, of course, the time to fill out those brackets is running down.
Trying to pick that perfect bracket can be one of the more stressful items of business when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, as there are many strategies to take. But it also one of the great pageantry traditions of March Madness, with bragging rights — and perhaps some compensation — on the line.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge contest for a chance at $1 million prize
Who will it be on the men’s side? Will Auburn become the first SEC team since 2012 to win a national championship, or will the Tigers see a disappointing exit as the top overall seed? Will Tom Izzo lead Michigan State to its first national championship in 25 years? Or will a dark horse team, such as Maryland or Clemson, be the ones to cut down the nets?
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
Who will it be on the women’s side? Will South Carolina become the first back-to-back national champion in over a decade? Will JuJu Watkins lead USC on a historic run through March that ends with its first national title in over four decades? Or will another team such as TCU or Notre Dame creep up and go on a run?
Here’s what you need to know on when you need to get your brackets in:
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When are brackets due for March Madness?
Here are the deadlines for March Madness brackets to be submitted for both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament.
All times Eastern
Men’s NCAA Tournament
- USA TODAY: Thursday, March 20 at noon
- CBS: Thursday, March 20 at noon
- Yahoo!: Thursday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m.
- ESPN: Thursday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m.
- NCAA: Thursday, March 20 at Noon
Women’s NCAA Tournament
- USA TODAY: Friday, March 21 at 11:15 a.m.
- CBS: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
- Yahoo!: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
- ESPN: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
- NCAA: Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
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