When does the 2016 NCAA college basketball tournament (March Madness) start?

The 2016 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament will start on Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16 with the “First Four.”

The first full day of March Madness, however, will take place on Thursday, March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day at 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Friday, March 18 will also feature a full day of games and on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, teams will battle it out for the right to advance to the field of 16 the following weekend.

The Sweet 16 will begin on Thursday, March 24 and the Elite 8 will begin on Saturday, March 26.

This year’s Final Four will take place at NGR Stadium in Houston, Texas on Saturday, April 2 and Monday, April 4.