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As March Madness tips off this week, there are a few North Texas teams hoping to survive and advance to the tournament’s later rounds.
Brackets have been set, office betting pools formed and watch parties organized. That’s right, March is here, and even if you don’t have a horse in the race, there are still some local teams on both sides of DFW vying for the title.
Texas universities as a whole enjoyed a strong Selection Sunday for both the men’s and women’s tournaments. In fact, there are more Texan teams competing in either tournament (seven in the men’s, six in the women’s) than any other state. Both the TCU men’s and women’s teams are in, while the SMU men’s team is set to compete in the tournament for the first time since 2017.
When Is It?
The men’s tournament runs from March 17 to April 6. The women’s tournament runs from March 18 to April 5.
Two TCU Teams Tipping Off
Horned Frog fans will have a busy first weekend of the tournament.
After missing the tournament last year, the TCU men’s team bounced back this season, finishing with an 11-7 record in conference play. The resurgence was led in part by forward David Punch, who finished the season averaging 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.
Selected as a No.9 seed, Head Coach Jamie Dixon’s squad begins tournament play against Ohio State (No. 8 seed) on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Greenville, South Carolina. BetMGM has the Horned Frogs as 2.5-point underdogs, while Kalshi is giving the team a 43% shot at pulling out a victory.
If they win on Thursday, they will likely face an uphill battle in the East against No. 1 overall seed Duke in the first round. While the Blue Devils have +350 odds as favorites to win the National Championship on BetMGM, TCU’s odds at a successful Cinderella title run have been put at a grim +100000.
Following the men’s game Thursday, the TCU women’s team will play its first NCAA tournament game Friday against UC San Diego at home. The squad is coming off a strong regular season in which it won 15 Big 12 games en route to a 29-5 record, earning a No. 3 seed in the tournament. TCU made it to the Elite Eight in the Women’s Tournament in 2025 before falling to No. 1 seed Texas.
TCU is heavily favored in the first round as a 34-point favorite against UCSD, per BetMGM, which has also given the team the twelfth-best chance to win the title with +5000 odds.
The Mustangs are Back
Representing the eastern side of North Texas, the SMU men’s team has found a way back into the tournament for the first time in nine seasons under second-year Head Coach Andy Enfield. The team hasn’t won a tournament game since 1988, but the Mustangs will look to break that streak in a First Four matchup against Miami (Ohio) Wednesday night.
The Mustangs are playing in a de facto road game at the University of Dayton Arena, about an hour away from Miami’s campus in western Ohio. SMU’s return to tournament action has been driven by strong guard play from veteran backcourt players like Boopie Miller, B.J. Edwards and Jaron Pierre Jr. Edwards, an All-ACC Defensive Team selection last year, has been out with an ankle injury since late February. His status for the First Four game is still undecided, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Morning News, leaving SMU fans wondering if they’ll have one of their most valuable pieces on the court.
Despite uncertainty over Edwards’ availability and what will likely be a hostile environment on the road, betting platforms still favor SMU. BetMGM has the Mustangs as 7.5-point favorites, while Kalshi places their chances of victory at 73%. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.
If SMU pulls out a victory, they will play Tennessee (No.6 seed) as heavy underdogs.
Other Texas Teams Dancing
On the men’s side, No. 11 seed Texas has already secured its spot in the first round with a First Four victory over N.C. State off Tramon Mark’s go-ahead shot with one second left to play. They will play No.6 seed BYU next.
In terms of actual contenders, No.2 seed Houston and No.5 seed Texas Tech seem to have the best odds to bring the Lone Star State its first National Championship win since Baylor’s 2021 run. Houston has reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last five tournaments and made the Final Four twice in that span. Last year, the team fell to Florida in the National Championship. BetMGM has given Houston +1100 odds to win the championship, the fifth-best in the field, while Tech’s odds sit at +12500.
Other Texas teams represented in the men’s tournament include Texas A&M (No. 10 seed) and Prairie View A&M (No. 16 seed).
Texas women’s teams competing include Texas (No. 1 seed), Baylor (No. 6 seed), Texas Tech (No. 7 seed), SFA (No. 16 seed) and UTSA (No.16 seed). The Texas women’s team is coming off an SEC Tournament title run and has been given the third-best odds (+800) to win the championship, sitting behind UConn (+300) and UCLA (+700).
Where to Watch
The men’s tournament can be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Streaming options include Paramount+, Max and the March Madness app.
Women’s games air on ESPN and ABC, with streams available on ESPN+.
And if you’re looking for a spot to catch the action outside of the house, check out our list of the best sports bars around.
