The Madness begins on March sports calendar
College basketball’s top teams hog the spotlight in March as the NCAA Tournament gets underway. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the March sports calendar, including the start of the MLB season.
MLB Spring Training (March 1-25)
Major League Baseball’s spring training schedule got underway in February and continues on in Florida and Arizona until March 25, at which time teams will set their rosters for the regular season and get ready for opening-day contests. The final day of spring training action on March 25 has seven games on the schedule, and is capped off by the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Los Angeles Angels at 9pm ET.
NBA Regular Season (March 1-31)
The NBA’s schedule for the month of March tips off on March 1 with a nationally-televised matchup between the Warriors and the Sixers in Philadelphia, with Denver hitting the hardwood against the Celtics in Boston in a matinee contest the next day. The month will close with two notable games on the schedule, as Memphis hosts Boston and the Lakers get a visit from Houston on Monday, March 31.
NHL Regular Season (March 1-31)
Alexander Ovechkin will continue his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goalscoring mark in the month of March, starting on March 1 when his Capitals get a visit from the Lightning in a matinee contest. Columbus also faces Detroit outdoors that night at Ohio Stadium. Washington then hosts Ottawa on March 3, plays on the road at the Rangers on March 5, and has a home game against the Red Wings on March 7.
CBB Conference Tournaments (March 2-16)
Conference tournaments for men’s college basketball run all throughout the first two weeks of the month of March, with the final ones wrapping up on Selection Sunday on March 16. The ACC title game joins the championship contests for the Big 12, Big East, CUSA, and Mountain West conferences on March 15. On March 16 it’s title games for the Ivy League plus the AAC, Atlantic 10, Big Ten, and SEC.
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev (March 8)
The UFC’s Light Heavyweight Championship will be on the line at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8 as champion Alex Pereira enters the Octagon against challenger Magomed Ankalaev. Also on the card for the night are lightweight matchups between Jalin Turner and Ignacio Bahamondes, and King Green and Mauricio Ruffy, along with a women’s strawweight bout between Amanda Lemos and Iasmin Lucindo.
THE PLAYERS Championship (March 13-16)
A marquee PGA Tour tournament is on the schedule in the middle of March as the top golfers hit the links at TPC Sawgrass for the 2025 edition of THE PLAYERS Championship. Scottie Scheffler has won this event in each of the last two years, holding off Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, and Xander Schauffele by one stroke to claim the win in 2024. Cameron Smith won the event in 2022; Justin Thomas won in 2021.
F1 Australian Grand Prix (March 16)
The 2025 Formula 1 season gets underway at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia on March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz Jr. won the 2024 edition of the Australian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing in second place, and Lando Norris ending up in third place. Max Verstappen had to retire after just three laps at this event last season because of issues with his brakes.
CBB NCAA Tournament (March 18-30)
The First Four for this year’s NCAA Tournament takes place on March 18-19 at the University of Dayton, with first-round matchups on March 20-21, and second-round matchups on March 22-23. The Sweet Sixteen then hits the hardwood on March 27-28, with the Elite Eight set for March 29-30. This year’s Final Four and championship game will be played in San Antonio on April 5 and April 7, respectively.
F1 Chinese Grand Prix (March 23)
The second event on the Formula 1 calendar for 2025 is the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on March 23. Verstappen came out on top in the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton finishing the race in second place, and Sergio Perez settling for a third-place result. Leclerc and Sainz Jr. rounded out the top-five drivers at the 2024 running of the Chinese Grand Prix.
MLB Regular Season (March 27-31)
Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season will be on Thursday, March 27, and it gets underway with the Yankees hosting the Brewers in New York in a 3:00pm ET contest on ESPN. The Orioles will be on the road in Toronto for their opener on March 27, while Philadelphia is at Washington, and Texas gets a visit from Boston. The Dodgers will play host to the Tigers in a 7:00pm ET contest, which is also set for ESPN.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
