A longstanding complaint among college basketball fans is being addressed.
The start time of the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game is being moved 30 minutes earlier, from 9:20 p.m. ET to 8:50 p.m. ET, the NCAA announced Tuesday.
The tip-off time for the sport’s marquee game has long been a point of contention for college basketball diehards, particularly those who live in the eastern time zone and typically have to stay up past 11:30 p.m. on a Monday night for the final buzzer to sound.
The move comes not only in the wake of years of complaints, but sagging interest. The past two title games, both won by UConn, have drawn the two lowest television ratings in the event’s recorded history — 14.69 million in 2023 and 14.82 million in 2024. Just eight years ago, North Carolina’s championship victory over Gonzaga had about 23 million viewers.
The College Football Playoff made a similar decision in 2022, moving up the kickoff time of its championship game from 8 p.m. ET to 7:30 p.m., though this year’s title matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame didn’t begin until closer to 7:45 p.m., with ESPN’s pregame coverage bleeding over past the announced kickoff time.
This year’s championship game is set to be played on Monday, April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The news of the slightly earlier tip-off time was largely met with approval, though some expressed disappointment, believing 8:50 p.m. is still too late for a weeknight.
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