For college basketball fans, the most maddening experience of March is to be stuck at work as the first full day of the NCAA Tournament tips off. The fear of missing out on the buzzer beaters and the confusion that management doesn't seem to understand the importance of your bracket can turn the most thrilling days of the sporting calendar into some of the most frustrating. Of course, office managers and teachers around the country must also get suspicious of the way seemingly everyone under their supervision becomes intensely interested in college basketball as soon as the brackets are printed.
Do people slack off at work because they love the NCAA Tournament? Or do we love the NCAA Tournament because it provides an excuse to avoid doing work?
Whether you're a die-hard, face-painting college basketball fan stuck in a cubicle or classroom while you're favorite team tips off or just a casual observer who would love to keep track of your bracket while putting the new cover sheets on those TPS reports, there are ample options for watching the NCAA Tournament almost anywhere.
As part of the aptly named TV Everywhere initiative, NCAA March Madness Live will give hoops fans -- and corporate slackers who only pay attention to basketball in March -- the ability to watch all games played in the 2014 NCAA Tournament online or with a smartphone or tablet. From the Selection Sunday through the Final Four, that will end up being more than 150 hours of live streaming event coverage.
With 49 million live video streams of NCAA Tournament games in 2013, use of NCAA March Madness Live rose 168% from 2012, reported USA TODAY. The schedule of the second round and Sweet 16 annually includes games on Thursdays and Fridays, leading to high usage of streaming services by those who can't get to a television because they should be working, studying or otherwise occupied. During first two weeks of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, streamed video views more than tripled from 2012 to 14 million hours, according to The Associated Press. With the March Madness Live app available on more platforms than ever before and another star-studded field of 68 teams competing to cut down the nets in 2014, those view totals figure to rise again.
Do you want to tune in? Does your boss approve? Either way, we've got you covered.
From the television basics and the latest apps available for download to more imaginative ways of keeping up, here are several tips that will enable just about every motivated -- or unmotivated -- fan to watch the NCAA Tournament wherever they may be.
Far and away the easiest way to watch the frenetic first full days of the NCAA Tournament is to just plant yourself in front of a television -- or, preferably, several televisions -- on Thursday at noon and stay in that spot until late Sunday evening.
All 63 games in the main draw of the tourney will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The action begins with No. 6 Ohio State and No. 11 Dayton at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS on Thursday, March 20.
CLICK HERE for complete TV schedule
Visit NCAA.com/March-Madness if you need help finding these stations in your area.
CLICK HERE for March Madness Live
For unlimited and uninterrupted access to all live games from a computer, users will need to log in with a TV provider subscription.
CLICK HERE for more information on March Madness Live
Those without login information from a participating TV provider can still enjoy a complimentary live video preview period and are able to stream all games broadcast on CBS.
CLICK HERE for more information.
As is the case with viewing March Madness Live at NCAA.com, users need to log in with their TV subscriber information for unlimited, unrestricted access. Those without login information from a participating TV provider can still watch all games broadcast on CBS without any restriction and will also have a temporary viewing period available.
CLICK HERE to find your local station.
Westwood One's website will also have all radio feeds available online. Those looking for Westwood One audio can also check out the TuneIn app.