Forget the First Four, the men’s NCAA Tournament officially begins on Thursday and does so … in Indianapolis.

The first game of the tournament — Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET — is No. 6 Colorado State against No. 11 Michigan at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Former Pacer Austin Croshere is in town to serve as the radio analyst for the national broadcast of games on Westwood One. He’s paired alongside Evansville native Brandon Gaudin, the former voice of the Butler Bulldogs.

Indy is one of eight cities hosting first- and second-round games — along with Buffalo, Portland, Fort Worth, Greenville, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and San Diego.

And if you’ve wondered why the Pacers haven't played many home games lately, this is why. Before serving as a host site for March Madness, they hosted the high school girls basketball state finals, the women’s Big Ten basketball tournament and the men’s. You can even throw in a Mad Ants game as well.

Over this three-week span, going back to Feb. 28, the Pacers (23-47) will have played seven of nine games on the road.

It’s 49 games in 34 days.

That’s Indy.

Last year, Indy hosted the ENTIRE NCAA men’s basketball tournament and so it’s fitting that this year’s tournament begins where last year’s tournament was played. Indy's 2021 March Madness was an overwhelming success … and there’s a fantastic documentary about the whole thing from the Indiana Sports Corp. that I highly recommend.

Pacers players with teams in the tournament

• Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State

• Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky

• T.J. McConnell, Arizona

• Myles Turner, Texas

• Duane Washington Jr., Ohio State

Indiana Pacers @Pacers

let the madness begin 🏀

March 16th 2022

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The full schedule of games at The Fieldhouse:

Thursday — with all games airing on CBS

• 12:15 p.m. ET: No. 6 Colorado State v No. 11 Michigan

• 2:45 p.m. ET: No. 3 Tennessee v No. 14 Longwood

• 7:10 p.m. ET: No. 2 Kentucky v No. 15 Saint Peter’s

• 9:40 p.m. ET: No. 7 Murray State v No. 10 San Francisco

Round of 32 games will be played on Saturday.

The Fever practice court inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse becomes the media workroom and site for postgame tournament interviews. Here’s what it looks like.