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NCAA tournament first round tv listings, tipoff times, and announcers

Here's your one stop shop for every single first round game, where to find it on the dial, and who is on the call.

By Brad D
Why can Raftery call games but Gus can't?
Why can Raftery call games but Gus can't?
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Back in the day when a lot of us were growing up, you got to watch the game that CBS decided you wanted to watch. Sure, we all got to see Bryce Drew throw in that miracle against Ole Miss, but what if Xavier had been playing right then? Now, we are presented with the other issue. With literally every game being televised, it can be hard to know where to be and when. Even worse, what if you land on a game that Bill Raftery is somehow calling? To help keep things straight, we've compiled every first round listing, tipoff time, and announcer pairing right here. We'll link to this throughout the weekend to keep you up to date on when, and where, things are happening.

Play-in Games

Date Tip (ET) Network Site Game Play-by-Play/Analyst//Reporter
Tuesday, March 15 6:40 p.m. truTV Dayton Fla Gulf Coast Eagles vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Jamie Erdahl
Tuesday, March 15 After conc. I truTV Dayton Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Wichita State Shockers Catalon / Lappas // Erdahl
Wednesday, March 16 6:40 p.m. truTV Dayton Holy Cross Crusaders vs. Southern Jaguars Carter Blackburn / Mike Gminski // Jaime Maggio
Wednesday, March 16 After conc. I truTV Dayton Michigan Wolverines vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane Blackburn / Gminski //Maggio


These aren't exactly your marquee matchups. Frankly, I find it a little difficult to digest that automatic qualifiers have to play in to the tournament (especially in Dayton) but that's the way it goes. Vandy, Tulsa, and Michigan are all teams that could have just as easily been left out for the likes of Monmouth or St. Bonaventure. The pressure will be on them to justify their existence in the field of 68.

Thursday March 17: Round of 64 Games

TIP (ET) NETWORK SITE Region GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST//REPORTER
12:15 p.m. CBS Providence West (4) Duke Blue Devils vs. (13) NC-Wilmington Seahawks Ian Eagle/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Evan Washburn
12:40 p.m. truTV Raleigh Midwest (8) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. (9) Butler Bulldogs Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Lewis Johnson
1:30 p.m. TNT Des Moines South (8) Colorado Buffaloes vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies Jim Nantz/Grant Hill/Bill Raftery//Tracy Wolfson
2:00 p.m. TBS Denver Midwest (4) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (13) Iona Gaels Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
After conc. I CBS Providence West (5) Baylor Bears vs. (12) Yale Bulldogs Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
After conc. I truTV Raleigh Midwest (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (16) Hampton Pirates Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
After conc. I TNT Des Moines South (1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (16) Austin Peay Governors Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
After conc. I TBS Denver Midwest (5) Purdue Boilermakers vs. (12) Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans Catalon/ Lappas// Erdahl
6:50 p.m. TNT Providence South (3) Miami-Florida Hurricanes vs. (14) Buffalo Bulls Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
7:10 p.m. CBS Des Moines East (5) Indiana Hoosiers vs.(12) Chattanooga Mocs Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
7:20 p.m. TBS Raleigh East (1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (16) Florida Gulf Coast/Fairleigh Dickinson Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
7:27 p.m. truTV Denver Midwest (3) Utah Utes vs. (14) Fresno State Bulldogs Catalon/ Lappas// Erdahl
After conc. III TNT Providence South (6) Arizona Wildcats vs. (11) Vanderbilt/Wichita State Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
After conc. III CBS Des Moines East (4) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (13) Stony Brook Seawolves Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
After conc. III TBS Raleigh East (8) USC Trojans vs. (9) Providence Friars Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
After conc. III truTV Denver Midwest (6) Seton Hall Pirates vs. (11) Gonzaga Bulldogs Catalon/ Lappas// Erdahl


The first thing that jumps out here is that Jim Nantz is really good, Bill Raftery is really bad, and the powers that be have forced them on us in the same announcer group. On the other hand, Ian Eagle and Len Elmore should be genuinely good to listen to. There may end up being a small break in the games between that last tip of the first set on TBS and the 6:50 tip on TNT. Plan runs for wings, pizza, and other necessities accordingly.

Friday March 18: Round of 64

TIP (ET) NETWORK SITE Region GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST//REPORTER
12:15 p.m. CBS St. Louis Midwest (7) Dayton Flyers vs. (10) Syracuse Orange Brian Anderson/Steve Smith//Dana Jacobson
12:40 p.m. truTV Brooklyn South (2) Villanova Wildcats vs. (15) UNC-Asheville Bulldogs Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
1:30 p.m. TNT Oklahoma City West (7) Oregon State Beavers vs. 910) Virginia Commonwealth Rams Carter Blackburn/ Mike Gminski//Jaime Maggio
2:00 p.m. TBS Spokane South (4) California Golden Bears vs. (13) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb//Ros Gold-Onwude
After conc. I CBS St. Louis Midwest (2) Michigan State Spartans vs. (15) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Anderson/Smith//Jacobson
After conc. I TNT Oklahoma City West (2) Oklahoma Sooners vs. (15) CS-Bakersfield Roadrunners Blackburn/Gminski//Maggio
After conc. I Brooklyn South (7) Iowa Hawkeyes vs. (10) Temple Owls Lundquist/Spanarkel//LaForce
After conc. I TBS Spokane South (5) Maryland Terrapins vs. (12) South Dakota State Jackrabbits Dedes/Gottlieb//Gold-Onwude
6:50 p.m. TNT St. Louis East (7) Wisconsin Badgers vs.(10) Pittsburgh Panthers Anderson/Smith//Jacobson
7:10 p.m. CBS Brooklyn East (3) West Virginia Mountaineers vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Lundquist/Spanarkel//LaForce
7:20 p.m. TBS Oklahoma City West (3) Texas A&M Aggies vs. (14) Green Bay Phoenix Blackburn/Gminski//Maggio
7:27 p.m. truTV Spokane West (1) Oregon Ducks vs. (16) Holy Cross/Southern U. Dedes/Gottlieb//Gold-Onwude
After conc. III TNT St. Louis East (2) Xavier Musketeers vs. (15) Weber State Wildcats Anderson/Smith//Jacobson
After conc. III CBS Brooklyn East (6) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs.(11) Michigan/Tulsa Lundquist/Spanarkel//LaForce
After conc. III TBS Oklahoma City West (6) Texas Longhorns vs.(11) Northern Iowa Panthers Blackburn/Gminski//Maggio
After conc. III truTV Spokane West (8) Saint Josephs (PA) Hawks vs. (9) Cincinnati Bearcats Dedes/Gottlieb//Gold-Onwude


Verne Lundquist is not only still alive, he's still calling games. It would be fantastic to hear him call a first round upset for SFA. Brian Anderson and Steve Smith are calling Xavier's game against Weber State. Anderson is primarily a baseball guy, but he's been in the tournament the last couple of years. Just in case there wasn't enough impetus to salvage sleep by not watching UC already, Doug Gottlieb is on the call.

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