When does March Madness – NCAA college basketball tournament start?

The first full day of the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will take place on Thursday, March 16 and March Madness will conclude on Monday, April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

As always, the best days to play hooky are the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament – which this year will coincide with St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, March 17.

Here are a look at the key dates for college basketball’s shining moments.

Tuesday, March 14

Play-in games at Dayton, Ohio

Wednesday, March 15

Play-in games at Dayton, Ohio

Thursday, March 16

First full day of games

Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)

Second full day of games

Saturday, March 18

Field of 32

Sunday, March 19