A common concern among college basketball enthusiasts is finally being addressed.

The NCAA has announced that the start time for the men’s basketball national championship game will be moved up by 30 minutes, shifting from 9:20 p.m. ET to 8:50 p.m. ET.

This change is aimed at alleviating frustrations from passionate college basketball fans, especially those located in the eastern time zone, who often find themselves awake past 11:30 p.m. on a school night waiting for the game to conclude.

This adjustment comes as a response not only to years of consistent feedback but also to declining viewership. The last two championship games, both won by UConn, recorded the lowest television ratings in history, with 14.69 million viewers in 2023 and 14.82 million in 2024. For comparison, just eight years ago, around 23 million viewers tuned in to witness North Carolina defeat Gonzaga for the title.

The College Football Playoff made a similar change in 2022, moving its championship game start time from 8 p.m. ET to 7:30 p.m. Although, this year’s title matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame began closer to 7:45 p.m. due to extended pregame coverage from ESPN.

This year’s championship game is scheduled for Monday, April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The announcement of the earlier tip-off was generally welcomed, though some fans expressed concerns that 8:50 p.m. still feels too late for a weeknight.