Why You Can Trust CNET SEC tournament 2019 schedule: How to watch NCAA basketball games without cable
Stream LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee and other men's powerhouse teams on the SEC Network and ESPN starting March 13.
LSU and Kentucky, seen here in a February matchup that LSU won by two points, are the top two seeds in the SEC tournament.
Ah, March Madness. Most casual fans and office bracketology participants know it as the 68-team free-for-all of the main 2019 NCAA tournament, which tips off March 19. But minor madness starts earlier in March with six conference championships.
One of the biggest, the Southeastern Conference, is home to perennial NCAA contenders like Kentucky, Louisiana State, Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina. LSU nabbed the SEC conference championship and the tournament's number one seed after handling Vanderbilt last Saturday. Meanwhile Kentucky, arguably the greatest men's college basketball program ever, sits at number two this year.
The top four seeded teams will play in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 15. Before that happens the lower-ranked teams -- seeds 5-14 -- will play starting Wednesday, March 13. The SEC tournament wraps up Sunday, March 17, leading up to the March Madness Selection Sunday show.
So how can you watch all that SEC action this year? It's all on SEC Network (naturally) and ESPN, and thanks to live TV streaming services, you can watch even if don't have a cable subscription. Here's how.
Other 2019 NCAA Basketball Conference Championships
- ACC tournament (March 12-16)
- Big 12 tournament (March 13-16)
- Big East tournament (March 13-16)
- Big Ten tournament (March 13-17)
- Pac-12 tournament (March 13-16)
When are the SEC tournament games on?
With 14 teams invited to battle it out in the SEC, the NCAA holds four rounds leading up to the championship.
March 13: First Round
Game 1: No. 12 Missouri vs. No. 13 Georgia at 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 2: No. 11 Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt at 9:30 p.m. on SEC Network
March 14: Second Round
Game 3: No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Arkansas at 1 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 4: No. 5 Auburn vs. Game 1 winner at 3:30 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 5: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Alabama at 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 6: No. 6 Mississippi State vs. Game 2 winner at 9:30 p.m. on SEC Network
March 15: Quarterfinals
Game 7: No. 1 LSU vs. Game 3 winner at 1 p.m. on ESPN
Game 8: No. 4 South Carolina vs. Game 4 winner at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Game 9: No. 2 Kentucky vs. Game 5 winner at 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 10: No. 3 Tennessee vs. Game 6 winner at 9:30 p.m. on SEC Network
March 16: Semifinals
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner at 1 p.m. on ESPN
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
March 17: Championship
Game 13 at 1 p.m. on ESPN
How can I watch the games live?
Many cable and satellite services have the SEC Network and ESPN, but if you don't have cable, you can use a TV streaming service to watch live.
First, some notes on live TV streaming services:
- You'll need a solid internet connection.
- You can watch any of them on TV as long as your smart TV has the service's app. You can also watch on your TV using a media streamer, including Roku , Fire TV , Apple TV and Chromecast .
- You can also watch on iPhones, Android phones and tablets and PC browsers.
- You can sign up and cancel anytime, no contract required.
- All of them offer free trial periods, so you can sign up to watch the tournament and then cancel.
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Sling TV costs $25 a month and includes ESPN. It's running a special right now that gives gives you the first three months for $15 each. To get the SEC Network you'll need the Sports Extra package, which adds another $5 per month.
DirecTV Now's Just Right package is $55-a-month and includes SEC Network and ESPN.
PlayStation Vue's $55 Core plan includes SEC Network and ESPN.