When does the March Madness 2025 schedule start, and when are 2025 NCAA Tournament brackets due? The 2025 March Madness bracket begins on Thursday, March 20

The top-seed in the Midwest, the Houston Cougars (30-4) take the court in their first game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the 16-seed SIUE Cougars (22-11). Houston won the Big 12 Tournament and SIUE won the Ohio Valley Conference.

Let's establish the obvious disclosure up front — when it comes to picking NCAA tournament champions in your bracket, the chalky teams are usually your friends, despite the moniker of "March Madness" for all the action to come.

After missing the Cougars' last two games with an ankle injury, Roberts said he will play vs. SIUE in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

Forward J’Wan Roberts said he’s ready to play in No. 1 seed Houston’s NCAA opener against No. 16 seed Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Thursday. Roberts, who missed the final two games of the Big 12 tournament with a sprained right ankle,

The No. 2 Houston Cougars take on the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The teams square off Thursday for the first time this season.