In the first game No. 16 St. Francis (PA) will square off with No. 16 Alabama State, with a trip to Kentucky to take on the top overall seed Auburn on the line. In the second game, No. 11 North Carolina — a surprising inclusion in the tournament — takes on No.

The top-seeded Tigers will face No. 16 seed Alabama State on Thursday at 1:50 p.m. CT in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The Hornets earned the right to face Auburn by defeating St. Francis on Tuesday, 70-68. Alabama State secured the win thanks to an Amarr Knight layup with 0:01 remaining in the game.

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