This year the madness begins on Sunday, March 13, 2016, as college basketball team match-ups are officially announced during a nationwide broadcast on CBS.
CBS announced this year’s NCAA Basketball Championship Selection Show is going from one hour to two. This will allow for more interviews, analysis and discussion, and it will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET.
As with previous years, the games are to be shared by CBS and Turner Sports (TBS, TNT and truTV). So for you cord cutters out there, now would be a good time to check out Sling TV! While your TV antenna will receive the CBS games, Sling TV can solve the Turner Sports dilemma.
Sling TV is an online TV subscription service that offers access to many live broadcasts normally reserved for cable customers. This includes TBS and TNT as standard, with the option of adding truTV as part of its lifestyle package.
With a 7-day free trial and $20 a month subscription to Sling TV (which you can cancel at any time), you gain access to every single March Madness game – when coupled with your TV antenna.
Here is what we know about the tournament leading up the NCAA’s Selection Sunday.
| 2016 | HOST | ROUND | SITE | VENUE |
| March 15-16 | Dayton | First Four | Dayton, Ohio | UD Arena |
| March 17, 19 | Providence | First, Second | Providence, R.I. | Dunkin Donuts Center |
| March 17, 19 | Iowa State | First, Second | Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena |
| March 17, 19 | NC State | First, Second | Raleigh, N.C. | PNC Arena |
| March 17, 19 | Mountain West | First, Second | Denver | Pepsi Center |
| March 18, 20 | Atlantic 10 | First, Second | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Barclays Center |
| March 18, 20 | Missouri Valley | First, Second | St. Louis | Scottrade Center |
| March 18, 20 | Big 12 | First, Second | Oklahoma City | Chesapeake Energy Arena |
| March 18, 20 | Idaho | First, Second | Spokane, Wash. | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena |
| March 24, 26 | Big West | West Regional | Anaheim, Calif. | Honda Center |
| March 24, 26 | Louisville | South Regional | Louisville, Ky. | KFC YUM! Center |
| March 25, 27 | Big Ten | Midwest Regional | Chicago | United Center |
| March 25, 27 | LaSalle | East Regional | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center |
| April 2, 4 | Rice University, Texas Southern University, University of Houston | Final Four and Championship | Houston, TX | NRG Stadium |
On the Go Streaming Apps
We love to have a cold one at home watching the game, but what about on the go? What if you are stuck in the dentist’ waiting room… or at juniors music recital… or Love Actually is on TV (her favorite tearjerker).
The NCAA has you covered and has a number of options for streaming apps available through their site here. But remember you can pick up the CBS broadcast games online at cbssports.com.
Credit: www.ncaa.com/march-madness
Additional Viewing and Chatter
Head over to the NCAA March Madness YouTube channel for the latest clips and highlight reels as the tournament progresses.
Get involved in the conversation on Reddit’s /r/marchmadness forums.
Being a cord cutter doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Not only can you watch and enjoy March Madness, but you will do so for a fraction of the price of your former cable bill.
*Stay tuned for updates to this blog as the schedule changes