Now that the NCAA Tournament field is set, it is time for fans to start making plans to catch their favorite team in action. Unfortunately, Texas Tech basketball fans who want to take in the Red Raiders' first-round matchup against No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington are going to have to be ready for a late night.
When does Texas Tech play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Unfortunately for fans, the Red Raiders will not tip off on Thursday night until 9:10 p.m. Central at the earliest. What's more, that game will likely start later than that because other games in Wichita, Kansas run long. In fact, that's almost a guarantee. This is the latest tip-off of any game in the country on Thursday, and it might not tip off until after 9:30.
This is the second year in a row that Tech will play a late game on the first night of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Tech faced off with NC State in Pittsburgh on the first Thursday of the tournament. That game tipped off at 8:40 p.m. Central.
Of course, this is less than ideal for fans who have to head to work on Friday. However, those traveling to Wichita for the game will have plenty of wiggle room as they make their way to the Midwest to support the Red Raiders. still, just about everyone will need some coffee or energy drinks to make it through this game.
What channel is the Texas Tech vs. UNCW game on?
There was a time when the NCAA Tournament was exclusively on CBS. That meant that fans didn't get to watch every game in full as the network featured regional broadcasts and then jumped from game to game to catch dramatic endings in a manner similar to how the NFL is broadcast these days.
However, now that every game is broadcast in its entirety, fans have to be on the hunt to find their team in action.
Texas Tech's first-round game will be broadcast on TrueTV, a channel that many people only watch during the NCAA Tournament. But at least Tech fans don't have to worry about having the game interrupted by other games as used to be the norm in the old days.
The broadcast crew will be Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, and Steve Smith with AJ Ross working as the sideline reporter.