Thrilling Start to the NCAA Tournament: Round of 32 Matchups and Key Highlights

Exciting Day One of the NCAA Tournament Sets Stage for Round of 32

Thursday ended Day One of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Fans watched games that thrilled them. Teams battled hard. Sixteen teams lost. Sixteen teams moved on. They now work toward a national championship. The Round of 32 starts Saturday.

Matchups are set. Tip-off times and TV channels are shared. This news builds more excitement. College basketball grows live in each play. Fans see each connection clearly.

Here’s the complete schedule for the upcoming Round of 32:

South Region – Atlanta

• 1. Auburn vs. 9. Creighton at 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV)
• 4. Texas A&M vs. Michigan at 5:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

East Region – Newark

• 3. Wisconsin vs. 6. BYU at 7:45 p.m. ET (CBS)

Midwest Region – Indianapolis

• 1. Houston vs. 8. Gonzaga at 8:40 p.m. ET (TNT)
• 2. Tennessee vs. 7. UCLA at 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV)
• 4. Purdue vs. 12. McNeese at 12:10 p.m. ET (CBS)

West Region – San Francisco

• 2. St. John’s vs. 7. Arkansas at 2:40 p.m. ET (CBS)
• 3. Texas Tech vs. 11. Drake at 6:10 p.m. ET (TNT)

Teams now prepare for the next round. Fans wait eagerly for the Round of 32. On Day One, most games went as predicted. Still, two upsets drew attention. Drake and McNeese, both double-digit seeds, won. Drake seeks its first Sweet Sixteen since 1971. McNeese aims to join history with a first appearance at this stage.

A standout match appears in Providence. St. John’s will face Arkansas there. Their coaches, Rick Pitino and John Calipari, share a long history. Now they lead new teams.

As the tournament advances into a busy second weekend, the Round of 32 will show fierce matchups. With so much at stake, fans will enjoy an exciting slate of games on Saturday.