The tip-off time for the sport’s marquee game has long been a point of contention for college basketball diehards, particularly those who live in the eastern time zone and typically have to stay up past 11:30 p.

The NCAA has announced an earlier start time for the men's basketball National Championship Game in 2025, with tipoff scheduled for 8:50 p.m. ET.

The NCAA announced Tuesday that the March Madness game’s tip-off time had been moved up to 8:50 p.m. ET from its traditional start time of 9:20 p.m. It’s a welcome move for many after the game has long taken more than two hours to complete and pushed up against midnight in the Eastern time zone.

The NCAA has turned back the clock 30 minutes for the Monday night start of its men’s basketball tournament championship game. Gone is the 9:20 p.m. tip-off time that challenged all but the biggest fans to remain awake for “One Shining Moment.