There are days that slip quietly through the calendar, and then there are days like the first Friday of March Madness — the kind that hum with anticipation before the morning begins. It is less a date than a feeling, like the first warm day of winter or the opening line of a novel that cannot be set aside.
By the time the First Four concludes, what remains is the real story: Round 1, a thousand possibilities, and a full day that asks only one thing — stay.
Friday’s Women’s March Madness Viewing Guide
Sixty-four teams remain, but only half will step into the spotlight today. Sixteen games, each one beginning to reveal where the bracket might bend and where it might break.
Friday is the tournament’s first true exhale, the moment it opens fully and allows everything to happen at once. Sixteen games are spread across the day, each carrying its own fragile universe of stakes.
The day begins at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, with Duke entering as a No. 3 seed against College of Charleston. Expectations are high that the game will ignite the day’s excitement before the schedule quickly folds into itself.
- 11:30 a.m.: No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Col. of Charleston (ESPN2)
- 12:00 p.m.: No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego (ESPN)
- 1:30 p.m.: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (ESPN2)
- 2:00 p.m.: No. 6 Baylor vs. TBD (ESPN)
- 2:30 p.m.: No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State (ESPNews)
- 3:00 p.m.: No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State (ESPNU)
- 3:30 p.m.: No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga (ESPN2)
- 4:00 p.m.: No. 1 Texas vs. TBD (ESPN)
- 5:30 p.m.: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross (ESPN2)
- 5:30 p.m.: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois (ESPNews)
- 6:00 p.m.: No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville (ESPN)
- 6:00 p.m.: No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay (ESPNU)
- 7:30 p.m.: No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State (ESPNews)
- 8:00 p.m.: No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee (ESPN)
- 8:30 p.m.: No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova (ESPNU)
- 10:00 p.m.: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho (ESPN)
Every game is available across ESPN’s family of networks, with streaming options through the ESPN app, ensuring the entire day is accessible, even if not every moment can be followed.
MARCH MADNESS: Fill In Your Bracket Now!
Ultimately, the day is not about catching every second but about allowing Round 1 to unfold. It is a long day — in the best possible way.
First-round games will continue through Saturday, followed by the Round of 32 on March 22 and 23. The Sweet 16 will take place March 27 and 28, while the Elite Eight is scheduled for March 29 and 30.
The Final Four will be held Friday, April 3, while the NCAA championship game is set for Sunday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, hosted at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
