Before the First Round, there’s the First Four: The four games that kick off the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament feature some of the last teams to make it into the competition. Tonight, two No. 11 seeds, the Washington Huskies and the Columbia Lions, will battle on the court for a spot in the first round of March Madness. The winner will face No. 6 seed West Virginia on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Columbia vs. Washington game; you can also get live game-day updates here.
How to watch Columbia vs. Washington:
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: Sling, DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV
What channel is the Columbia vs. Washington game on?
The women’s Columbia vs. Washington First Four game will air on ESPN2.
Don’t have cable? Don’t worry: Games across the ESPN suite of channels are accessible via live TV streaming services like DirecTV, Sling, Hulu with Live TV and Fubo.
2025 March Madness First Round Schedule:
All times Eastern
Women’s First Four
Wednesday, March 19
Iowa State vs. Princeton, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
UC San Diego vs. Southern, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Thursday, March 20
Columbia vs. Washington, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
High Point vs. William & Mary, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Women’s first round
Friday, March 21
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No, 14 Stephen F. Austin State, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 UC San Diego/Southern, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, March 22
No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State, 1 p.m. (ABC)
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/Washington, 2 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 1 Southern California vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro, 3 p.m. (ABC)
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton, 7:15 p.m. (ESPNews)
No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 High Point/William & Mary, 9:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)
How to watch the First Round of March Madness 2025:
Sling doesn’t offer a free trial these days, and March Madness lasts longer than your standard trial would. It’s still a solid option to catch most games in the tournament. Emphasis on most, because one big blindspot for Sling is that it doesn’t carry CBS.
That said, for $45 for your first month of Sling Orange + Blue and the Sports Extra add-on, you can catch all the games on TBS, TNT, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.
2025 NCAA tournament schedule:
2025 March Madness women’s schedule:
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Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (ESPN)
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First Four: March 19-20 (ESPN2, ESPNU)
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First round: March 21-22 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)
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Second round: March 23-24 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)
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Sweet 16: March 28-29 (ESPN, ESPN2)
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Elite Eight: March 30-31 (ESPN)
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Final Four: April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ESPN, ESPN+)
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NCAA championship game: April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ABC2, ESPN3, ESPN+)
2025 March Madness men’s schedule:
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Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (CBS)
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First Four: March 18-19 (TruTV)
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First round: March 20-21 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
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Second round: March 22-23 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
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Sweet 16: March 27-28 (CBS, TBS)
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Elite Eight: March 29-30 (CBS, TBS)
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Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
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NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
