When is March Madness 2020? Dates, TV schedule, locations, odds & more for the NCAA Tournament

The 2020 NCAA Tournament is right around the corner, bringing with it a bizarre twist on the March Madness we've come to know at this time of year.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the United States, the 2019-20 men's basketball season will culminate with the 2020 NCAA Tournament with severely restricted spectators watching. The NCAA is also considering moving the Final Four from its originally slated site at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

And, oh yeah, this season's tournament marks the 35-year anniversary of the 1985 NCAA Tournament, the first to include a 64-team field. That's fitting, in more ways than one.

MORE: Projecting the 2020 NCAA Tournament field of 68

Several teams could be classified as "good" ahead of the 2020 tournament, and they will likely claim favorite status ahead of March Madness. But there are no great teams, such as 2019 Duke, 2017 Villanova or 2012 Kentucky. Some of the nation's top teams — Duke, Kentucky, Baylor, San Diego State and more — have all suffered head-scratching losses, almost as if March Madness bled into the regular season.

Similarly, there are no generational talents such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant or Jalen Brunson, though the likes of Iowa's Luka Garza, Dayton's Obi Toppin and Marquette's Markus Howard are sure to thrill when their teams reach the tournament.

All that begs the question: How much Madness can we expect to see in March? Based on the season thus far, quite a lot. And there's no better way to end a college basketball season.

With that, here's everything you need to know about March Madness 2020, including the start and end dates, a TV schedule and locations for each round of the NCAA Tournament, updated betting odds and more.

When is March Madness 2020?

• Start date: Tuesday, March 17
• End date: Monday, April 6

The 2020 NCAA Tournament — comprised of the First Four, Rounds 1 and 2, the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship game — will begin shortly after Selection Sunday and conclude in early April.

Here is the full schedule for March Madness 2020:

Where is March Madness 2020?

• First Four location: Dayton, Ohio
• Final Four location: Atlanta

The 2020 NCAA Tournament begins in Dayton, Ohio with the First Four and was originally slated to end in Atlanta with the Final Four. Several cities will host the first, second and regional rounds between the bookend rounds.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday, however, that the NCAA is looking to move the Final Four to a smaller venue in Atlanta. It is also considering moving its regional sites to smaller venues in their respective cities, as well.

Below is a full rundown on the sites and locations of the NCAA Tournament, for now:

MORE MARCH MADNESS:
Best upsets | Pivotal moments | Greatest buzzer-beaters

NCAA Tournament schedule 2020

When is Selection Sunday 2020?

Selection Sunday, the day on which the 68-team field is unveiled, will take place on Sunday, March 15 in 2020. Like last year, the Selection Sunday show will air on CBS and will go for a region-by-region reveal, as opposed to TBS' alphabetical reveal in 2018. The 2020 NCAA Tournament's selection show will begin at 6 p.m. ET, though the full bracket won't be released until the completion of that day's conference championship games.

• Date: Sunday, March 15
• Time: 6 p.m. ET
• TV channel: CBS
• Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live

When is the First Four?

The 2020 First Four games will take place March 17-18, with doubleheaders played on each of those days.

Not all of the 68 teams — comprised of 32 automatic qualifiers and 36 at-large bids — will get to play in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Since 2011, eight teams — the four lowest-seeded automatic and at-large bids — have been selected to play in four "First Four" games: essentially, play-in games for the tournament proper.

• Date: March 17-18
• Time: TBD
• TV channel: TruTV
• Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live

When is the Final Four?

The 2020 NCAA Tournament ends with the Final Four (April 4) and national championship (April 6) games in Atlanta after the field has been whittled down from 68, 64, 32, 16 and eight teams.

• Dates: April 4, 6
• Time: TBD
• TV channel: TBS
• Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live

How to watch March Madness 2020 live

The 2020 NCAA Tournament will be broadcast between CBS and Turner Sports stations (which includes TV channels TBS, TNT and TruTV). Due to a 2016 contract between CBS and Turner Sports, Turner Sports has broadcast rights to the Final Four and national championship game every other year. That means this year's Final Four in Atlanta will be broadcast on TBS, though "TeamCast" presentations will air on TNT and TruTv.

Here is the full TV schedule and streaming options for the 2020 NCAA Tournament:

CBS and Turner Sports released the full announcer pairings for the 2020 Tournament on Tuesday. For the sixth consecutive year, Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson will call the Final Four and national championship game. Gene Steratore will return as a rules analyst while Dwyane Wade and Lauren Shehadi join coverage for the first time.

Here are the announcer pairings for the 2020 NCAA Tournament:

(* indicates regional weekend announce teams)

Odds to win March Madness 2020

Kansas, Gonzaga, Baylor and Dayton — all considered potential 1-seeds in the 2020 NCAA Tournament — have the best odds to win March Madness 2020, per BetOnline (via SportsInsider). Below are the top 11 teams with the best odds:

• Kansas: +500
• Gonzaga: +700
• Baylor: +900
• Dayton: +1000
• Duke: +1200
• Kentucky: +1200
• Michigan State: +1400
• San Diego State: +1400
• Louisville: +1800
• Maryland: +1800
• Seton Hall: +1800

MARCH MADNESS MEMORIES:
Thrill of victory | Agony of defeat

Future March Madness locations, host sites

The NCAA Tournament takes place across several host cities throughout the First Four, Rounds 1 and 2, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Each tournament finishes with the Final Four, which — much like the Super Bowl — changes venues each year.

Here are the future sites and locations for future Final Fours:

NCAA Tournament 2020 tickets

NCAA president Mark Emmert on Wednesday announced the NCAA Tournament would be severely limited in the number of fans able to attend: only essential personnel and a limited number of family members.

NCAA President Mark Emmert statement on limiting attendance at NCAA events: https://t.co/TIHHJjdse5 pic.twitter.com/8I1HdceDfN

— NCAA (@NCAA) March 11, 2020

Due to that fact, the NCAA will no longer sell tickets for March Madness or the Final Four. The organization has also released information on refunding tickets:

Updated ticket information for NCAA Championship events closed to public.

MORE INFO: 👉 https://t.co/xnEJtstiWl pic.twitter.com/X9uz8h7JqA

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 11, 2020

More March Madness news by Sporting News

Need a fix on March Madness content before the 2020 NCAA Tournament? Sporting News has you covered:

• Inside the Madness: 80 years of Final Four memories
• Upset City: Reliving the Wildest Opening Venue in Tournament History
• An Oral History of Steph Curry's Breakout Party
• '40 Minutes of Hell' to Hog Heaven: Memories from Arkansas' 1994 NCAA Tournament run
• Mario Chalmers' shot vs. Memphis still resonates
• March Madness 2018: Ranking the Top 16 #FaganJinx upsets

NCAA Tournament winners

UCLA leads all men's college basketball programs with 11 national championships, followed by blue bloods Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke.

Virginia, the 2019 March Madness winner, finally joined the list last year with its first NCAA Tournament title in program history.