Madness tips off with the First Four in Dayton, with a mix of bubble teams who made the cut and smaller schools hoping to be this year's Cinderella.

The Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday night at the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

North Carolina was a controversial selection for the NCAA Tournament, but the Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday

Though the wall-to-wall 2025 NCAA Tournament action won't get started until Thursday's first-round schedule, the First Four in Dayton has become a staple in its decade-plus of existence that provides a unique kickoff to March Madness.

This NCAA basketball bonanza kicks off with the First Four Round – four games in each tournament to determine the final four teams in the Round of 64. It’s the last puzzle piece before the March Madness bracket is complete.