March Madness 2021 schedule: Gonzaga vs. Baylor tip time, TV channel, date, Final Four scores, bracket, watch men’s NCAA tournament games live

By Jeff ArvoyApr 5, 2021, 8:58 PM EDT

The regular season has come to an end and the March Madness 2021 begins on Thursday, March 18 with 68 teams in the hunt to win it all. Teams left in the men’s 2021 NCAA tournament include: Gonzaga and Baylor.

Check out the full March Madness schedule for 2021 below as well as TV channels, networks, dates, tip times, how to watch information, printable bracket, odds, scores and much more.

2021 NCAA Men’s Tournament Bracket

Click here for the full, printable PDF version of the 2021 men’s March Madness bracket.

How to bet on the men’s 2021 NCAA Tournament

According to PointsBet, Gonzaga leads the way as the clear favorite to win it all:

Gonzaga vs. Baylor spread: Gonzaga -4.5
Gonzaga vs. Baylor over/under total: 159.5
Gonzaga moneyline: -200
Baylor moneyline: +170

Click here to bet on these plus every March Madness game, NCAA basketball future and more with PointsBet.

Men’s 2021 March Madness TV Schedule

2021 National Championship game

Monday, April 5

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium
Start time: 9:20 p.m. ET
TV channel: CBS

2021 March Madness Scores and Results

First Four

Thursday, March 18

(16) Texas Southern 60, (16) Mount St. Mary’s 52

(11) Drake 53, (11) Wichita St. 52

(16) Appalachian St. 53, (16) Norfolk St. 54

(11) UCLA 86, (11) Michigan State 80

First Round

Friday, March 19 (Afternoon)

(10) Virginia Tech 70, (7) Florida 75

(14) Colgate 68, (3) Arkansas 85

(16) Drexel 49, (1) Illinois 78

(11) Utah State 53, (6) Texas Tech 65

(15) Oral Roberts 75, (2) Ohio State 72

(16) Hartford 55, (1) Baylor 79

(9) Georgia Tech 60, (8) Loyola Chicago 71

(12) Oregon State 70, (5) Tennessee 56

Friday, March 19 (Evening)

(13) Liberty 60, (4) Oklahoma State 69

(9) Wisconsin 85, (8) North Carolina 62

(15) Cleveland State 56, (2) Houston 87

(13) North Texas 78, (4) Purdue 69

(10) Rutgers 60, (7) Clemson 56

(11) Syracuse 78, (6) San Diego State 62

(14) Morehead State 67, (3) West Virginia 84

(12) Winthrop 63, (5) Villanova 73

Saturday, March 20 (Afternoon)

(12) Georgetown 73, (5) Colorado 96

(13) UNC Greensboro 54, (4) Florida State 64

(14) Eastern Washington 84, (3) Kansas 93

(9) St. Bonaventure 61, (8) LSU 76

(16) Texas Southern 66, (1) Michigan 82

(12) UC Santa Barbara 62, (5) Creighton 63

(15) Iona 55, (2) Alabama 68

(11) Drake 56, (6) USC 72

Saturday, March 20 (Evening)

(15) Grand Canyon 74, (2) Iowa 86

(10) Maryland 63, (7) UConn 54

(13) Ohio 62, (4) Virginia 58

(9) Missouri 68 vs. (8) Oklahoma 72

(16) Norfolk St. 55, (1) Gonzaga 98

(11) UCLA 73, (6) BYU 62

(14) Abilene Christian 53, (3) Texas 52

(10) VCU vs. (7) Oregon — No contest, (7) Oregon advances

Second Round

Sunday, March 21

(8) Loyola Chicago 71, (1) Illinois 58

(9) Wisconsin 63, (1) Baylor 76

(11) Syracuse 75, (3) West Virginia 72

(6) Texas Tech 66, (3) Arkansas 68

(10) Rutgers 60, (2) Houston 63

(15) Oral Roberts 81, (7) Florida 78

(13) North Texas 61, (5) Villanova 84

(12) Oregon State 80, (4) Oklahoma State 70

Monday, March 22

(7) Oregon 95, (2) Iowa 80

(8) Oklahoma 71, (1) Gonzaga 87

(14) Abilene Christian 47, (11) UCLA 67

(13) Ohio 58, (5) Creighton 72

(8) LSU 78, (1) Michigan 86

(5) Colorado 53, (4) Florida State 71

(10) Maryland 77, (2) Alabama 96

(6) USC 85, (3) Kansas 51

Sweet 16

Saturday, March 27

(12) Oregon State 65, (8) Loyola Chicago 58

(5) Villanova 51, (1) Baylor 62

(15) Oral Roberts 70, (3) Arkansas 72

(11) Syracuse 46, (2) Houston 62

Sunday, March 28

(5) Creighton 65, (1) Gonzaga 83

(4) Florida State 58, (1) Michigan 76

(11) UCLA 88, (2) Alabama 78

(7) Oregon 68, (6) USC 82

Elite Eight

Monday, March 29

(2) Houston 67, (12) Oregon State 61

(1) Baylor 81, (3) Arkansas 72

Tuesday, March 30

(6) USC 66, (1) Gonzaga 85

(11) UCLA 51, (1) Michigan 49

Final Four

Saturday, April 3

(2) Houston 59, (1) Baylor 78

(11) UCLA 90, (1) Gonzaga 93

Check back after every game for scores and follow NBC Sports Edge for more on the 2021 Men’s NCAA Tournament as well as game previews, betting, news, odds and more.

PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

NIL and NCAA: What to know about the new policy and how NBC Sports can help

By Mary OmatigaJul 6, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT

Getty Images

As of July 1, 2021, a new NCAA policy has been in effect allowing student-athletes from all three divisions to monetize their name, image, and likeness (often referred to as NIL). As long as the activities are “consistent with the law of the state where the school is located,” athletes now have the opportunity to accept endorsements from brands, monetize their social media presences, and work with professional firms to coordinate deals.

Click here for additional information and guidelines regarding NCAA NIL policies and keep reading to find answers to questions such as how NIL works as well as how NBC Sports can help.

What is NIL and NBC Sports Athlete Direct?

NBC Sports Athlete Direct is coming to a school near you. The program enables college student-athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) through a unique marketplace that connects athletes with advertisers. NBC Sports Athlete Direct will work to provide equal opportunities to all student-athletes, regardless of which team you play on or any statistical performance.

How will the NIL Marketplace work?

Advertisers will use NBC Sports Athlete Direct to make NIL offers available to college student-athletes. College student-athletes will then have the option to participate in the NIL offer. Those who decide to participate and complete the advertiser’s campaign requirements will be compensated based on a predetermined rate.

How much money can athletes make participating in NBC Sports Athlete Direct?

Compensation will vary by advertiser campaign.

When will NBC Sports Athlete Direct launch and how can I sign up?

NBC Sports Athlete Direct will officially launch in the Fall of 2022 but prior to that, we will be launching a pilot program soon, exclusively for Temple and Vanderbilt student-athletes.

In the meantime, click here to fill out a student-athlete interest form and once it is available at your school, we will notify you and provide you with additional information on how to sign up.

If I participate in NIL offers from NBC Sports Athlete Direct, do I still have the freedom to do other NIL deals that are not related to NBC Sports Athlete Direct?

Yes, this program is non-exclusive so our student-athletes will have the freedom to participate in other NIL deals that are not related to NBC Sports Athlete Direct.

What are the rules or restrictions for participating in this program?

Unfortunately, international students and students under the age of 18 are not eligible to participate in the pilot program at this time.

Kentucky to allow college athletes to earn off likeness

Associated PressJun 24, 2021, 5:52 PM EDT

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Thursday allowing the state’s college athletes – including players on the nationally renowned Kentucky and Louisville men’s basketball teams – to make money through the use of their name, image or likeness.

The Democratic governor said he took the action as a matter of fairness for college athletes. It will spare Kentucky’s colleges from being at a competitive disadvantage with rivals in other states that will have laws enabling athletes to profit off their name, image or likeness, he said.

“This is important to our student-athletes, who for decades, others – whether it’s companies or institutions – have profited on,” Beshear told reporters. “These athletes deserve to be a part of that.”

Beshear said his executive order takes effect July 1, when similar legislation passed in several other states will become law. His office said he was the first governor to make the change by executive order.

The governor’s action won praise from the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. UK plays in the Southeastern Conference and UofL competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Bringing the state of Kentucky into competitive balance with other states across the country and, more specifically, the Atlantic Coast Conference is critical,” Vince Tyra, U of L’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said in a release issued by the governor’s office.

UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart said the governor’s action “provides us the flexibility we need at this time to further develop policies around name, image and likeness.”

“We are appreciative of that support, as it is a bridge until such time as state and/or federal laws are enacted,” Barnhart said in the same release from Beshear’s office. “The landscape of college sports is now in the midst of dramatic and historic change – perhaps the biggest set of shifts and changes since scholarships were first awarded decades ago.”

In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas, laws go into effect July 1 that make it impermissible for the NCAA and members schools to prevent athletes from being paid by third parties for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsements and personal appearances.

The NCAA had hoped for a national law from Congress that has not come, and its own rule-making has been bogged down for months. College sports leaders are instead moving toward the type of patchwork regulation they have been warning against for months.