March Madness kicks off today, which means it’s Selection Sunday. And the NCAA is bringing back the drama.
Rather than revealing the teams alphabetically, as was done last year, CBS Sports and Turner Sports, who will work in conjunction to air all 67 of the tournament’s games, have opted to go old school, revealing teams bracket by bracket this year. It won’t be drawn out, but it will be suspenseful.
What time does Selection Sunday bracket reveal show start?
The NCAA will host its Selection Show on CBS at approximately 6 p.m. ET Sunday, immediately following the conclusion of the Big Ten championship game.
How to watch Selection Sunday 2019 on TV
The hour-long show will air live on CBS (not TBS, TNT or Tru TV, which will air games). If you’re planning to be away from home then, though, you still have a few options to watch the bracket reveals live.
How to watch Selection Sunday without cable
CBS All Access – CBS’s cord cutting service lets you stream CBS from any screen, meaning you can keep up, even if you’ve been dragged to a family dinner. You can sign up for the one-week free trial before the show and, should you sign up to stay abreast of the tournament in the weeks to come, it will cost an extra $6 per month.
CBS Sports HQ – The online sports-exclusive streaming service will carry Selection Sunday live as well as wall-to-wall coverage after the formal unveiling. It could be a good place to start your research as you make your bracket picks.
CBS Sports app – Another possible ally once the NCAA tournament gets started, this app lets you stream live video of CBS sports events and delivers scoring and breaking news alerts.
How do I get a printable March Madness bracket?
Once the teams are announced, you’ll want to print out a bracket to prepare for the office pool.
Your best bet is the official NCAA site. A blank version of the form is available now, if you’d like to fill out the teams yourself. The league is expected to update that with the teams and initial matchups soon after Selection Sunday wraps up.
When does the 2019 NCAA Tournament begin?
After Selection Sunday, the First Four will tip off March Madness gameplay on Tuesday, March 19, pitting the four lowest seeded automatic bids against the four lowest seeded at-large bids.
Things really get going on Thursday, March 21 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Games will be held on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until the Final Four meet on April 6 and 8.
The National Championship will take place on April 8.
