Tip time set for NCAA March Madness National Championship, and it's earlier than ever

March Madness will culminate with the NCAA basketball national championship— and we now know when that will be.

Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) guards Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the Men's NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024.
Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) guards Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the Men's NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

What time will NCAA March Madness National Championship tip off?

NCAA March Madness is always one of the highlight events on the sports calendar. The first weekend in particular is a huge amount of fun for all basketball fans— and anyone who has made a bracket for that given year— filled with upsets, buzzer-beaters, and white-knuckle rides all over the map.

It all culminates, of course, in the national championship. The two teams that have weathered the battle royale of the sixty-eight-team field finally meet up and vie for the ultimate crown.

This game— and, in honesty, the entire final four weekend— is always a treat for basketball fans. The memories from things like South Carolina's cinderella final four run in 2017, UNC and Villanova's trading of improbable shots in the final minute, and more are all artifacts of this banner weekend.

One thing that has bothered east coast fans in particular, though, is the fact that the national championship game has always been played at such a late time. It looks like the NCAA listened to that concern this year... kind of.

That's still a pretty late tip time for fans in the eastern time zone, but it's been mitigated a little bit. A 9:20 tip was absolutely obscene, so this is a little bit better— but not by much! This should still put an end time around 11:30 PM in the eastern time zone.

Mark this one down on your calendar, basketball fans. On Selection Sunday, you can bet each one of the teams in the field will be looking to this time, hoping it will be their name on one side of the bracket playing for the ultimate prize.

Schedule

Schedule