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Conference tournaments are already underway, and Selection Sunday is just around the corner. That means the 2025 NCAA Tournament is also on the horizon, with March Madness pools for the men’s side starting on March 18, and the women’s NCAA Tournament beginning a day later. As has become a national pastime, making 2025 March Madness pool picks will consume many casual and diehard college basketball fans.
The only certainty when it comes to 2025 NCAA Tournament pool picks is uncertainty. Top seeds going down early and double-digit seeds advancing beyond the first weekend are givens, which only add to the excitement of March Madness. In terms of the latter, which mid-majors that have flown under the radar all year could make a deep tourney run and reward those who back them in 2025 NCAA Bracket Games? With the action so close, now is the time to set up your 2025 March Madness pool.
If you’re looking for a NCAA Tournament bracket game home, CBS Sports is a great option get set up. You can play Bracket Games on the CBS Sports App for free and you could win big prizes.* Sign up right here.
There are CBS Sports NCAA Bracket Challenges for the men’s and women’s tournaments and there’s a trip to each respective 2026 Final Four on the line in both challenges. It’s easy to qualify for those epic trips. For the Men’s Challenge, simply click this link, click the “Join Now” button and enter.* Fill out your men’s bracket after it is revealed on Sunday, March 16, at 6 p.m. ET, and the winner of the trip to the 2026 Final Four will be chosen from among the entrants.
Anyone who enters both the Men’s CBS Sports Bracket Challenge and Women’s CBS Sports Bracket Challenge will also be entered for a chance to win a brand new Nissan Armada. The men’s bracket deadline is scheduled for March 20 at noon ET, while the women’s bracket deadline is March 21 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
To be eligible, simply follow the steps above to join the Men’s Challenge and then join the Women’s Challenge here. All you have to do to be eligible to win the Nissan Armada is join both, even if your brackets get completely busted.
2025 NCAA Tournament Men’s teams to watch
Now that you know where to play 2025 NCAA Men’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the Tournament approaches:
Auburn Tigers: Despite playing the second-toughest strength of schedule in the nation, Auburn has produced the best adjusted offensive rating in Division I. It can score inside with National Player of the Year contender, Johni Broome, who leads the team with 18 points per game, and they can light up the scoreboard from outside as four of the team’s top five scorers knock down over 38% from beyond the arc. The Tigers’ high-octane offense is equally efficient as it is explosive as Auburn ranks sixth in the country in points per game while committing the seventh-fewest turnovers per night in college basketball.
Michigan State Spartans: Tom Izzo’s squad wasn’t even ranked to begin December but is now a top-10 team thanks to a stifling defense that simply smothers opponents. The Spartans allow both the lowest field goal percentage and 3-point percentage in the Big Ten, while also holding opponents to the fewest points per game in conference play. On offense, MSU plays to its strengths, which are interior scoring and getting to the line. Michigan State leads its conference in both 2-pointers made and free throws made, and you can’t discount the Izzo factor as the coach’s eight Final Four appearances are the fifth-most in NCAA history. Join the CBS Sports 2025 NCAA Men’s Bracket Game here.
2025 NCAA Tournament Women’s teams to watch
Now that you know where to play 2025 NCAA Women’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the 2025 NCAA Tournament approaches:
UCLA Bruins: Despite making the NCAA Tournament 19 times in their 43-year history, the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball program is still chasing its first Final Four appearance (the men’s team has 19 Final Fours and 11 national championships). However, head coach Cori Close appears to have them on the verge, taking UCLA to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight in six of the last eight seasons that March Madness has been held. At 27-2 on the season, UCLA is one win away from matching a school record for wins and 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts is averaging 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
Tennessee Volunteers: The Lady Vols haven’t been to a Final Four or won a national championship since Pat Summit did it with Candace Parker in 2008 but Kim Caldwell has brought a new energy to the program. Tennessee ranks second in the nation in scoring (87.6 ppg) and sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper (16.8 ppg) is one of five Lady Vols averaging double-figures. The Volunteers have never missed the NCAA Tournament and Caldwell will look to put her stamp on the program in her first March Madness appearance as Tennessee’s head coach in 2025. Join the 2025 Women’s Bracket Game here.
How to enter 2025 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Bracket Games
Ready to set up your 2025 NCAA Tournament pools? Join the 2025 NCAA Bracket Games right here for a shot at a trip to the 2026 Final Four. Don’t forget to enter the Women’s Bracket Games as well for a chance to win a new Nissan Armada.
*No purchase necessary. See rules for details.
