NCAA March Madness 2025

March Madness is a fun time to go out and watch NCAA basketball. No matter which team you’re cheering for, there’s a watch party or venue for you.

2025 March Madness Schedule

The NCAA men’s championships will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on April 7th 2025. Denver will host first and second round men’s matches at Ball Arena March 20-22, 2025. Here is an outline of the full NCAA men’s March Madness schedule:

  • Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16

  • First Four: March 18-19

  • First round: March 20-21

  • Second round: March 22-23

  • Sweet 16: March 27-28

  • Elite Eight: March 29-30

  • Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

  • NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

The NCAA women’s championships will be held at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on April 6th 2025. Denver isn’t on the docket to host any of the regional rounds for the women’s tournament. Here is an outline of the women’s NCAA March Madness schedule:

  • Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 16

  • First Four: March 19-20

  • First round: March 21-22

  • Second round: March 23-24

  • Sweet 16: March 28-29

  • Elite Eight: March 30-31

  • Final Four: Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. with the second semifinal starting 30 minutes after the first game ends. Both will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

  • NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, hosted at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

Where to Watch March Madness 2025 in Denver & Beyond

Tom’s Watch Bar, LoDo

Denver has plenty of fun sports bars downtown like Stoney’s, Society Sports, and Blake Street Tavern. Tom’s near Coors Field is one of them, and is a popular choice for March Madness for more than one reason. Tom’s has run contests in the past where if you guess the winning NCAA tournament team, you can win free beer for a year. Tom’s encourages guests to bring their laptops and devices and connect to their high speed internet to track their brackets, and has both mens and womens games on from the start of both tournaments.

The 99ers, East Colfax

The 99ers Sports Bar is Denver’s first sports bar focused primarily on women’s sports. Naturally, this is our recommendation for the best spot to watch the women’s NCAA tournament. The sports bar TV schedule is posted online each week so you can preview as well as request which games will be played.

In the Zone, Golden

If you’re west of Denver, In the Zone is a large sports bar in Golden with over 80 TVs, a huge patio, and the ability to place cash at counter bets with FanDuel. This Golden sports bar also has a full restaurant menu, lots of beers on tap, free WiFi to track your brackets, and pool tables to kill time in between games.

Basketball Social House, Centennial

Yes, it’s in Centennial, which is about 20-69 minutes south of Denver depending on the grace of I-25. But basketball is in the name! It’s hard to beat the amenities of Basketball Social House for basketball fans. It’s like a Top Golf for basketball. Basketball Social House hosts both youth and adult basketball leagues, has a full bar and restaurant, and you can book a private room with a basketball hoop and TVs to watch your preferred game.

Ameristar Blackhawk Casino Sportsbook

If you’re looking for the Vegas experience without leaving Colorado, consider the Ameristar sportsbook about an hour from Denver. When large crowds/large events are happening they allow reservations, otherwise seating is open and free of charge for active gamblers.

Carrie Leigh