Final Four: Start time, broadcast pairings, and how to watch Loyola vs. Michigan

As we assumed would be the case, the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers and Michigan Wolverines will face off in the early game of next Saturday’s Final Four doubleheader in San Antonio.

The game will tip at 6:09 p.m. ET from the Alamodome as the Ramblers look to earn their second trip to the title game in school history.

Loyola got here by beating three power conference teams and a nationally ranked foe in Nevada to earn the South Regional crown. The Ramblers’ 78-62 win over Kansas State in the Elite Eight was their first game of the tournament decided by more than two points.

As for Michigan, the Wolverines reached San Antonio by defeating Florida State in a low-scoring Elite Eight battle known more for Leonard Hamilton’s postgame reaction than anything that happened on the court.

While Loyola is in the Final Four for the first time since winning it all in 1963, Michigan is back for the second time this decade — the Wolverines lost to Louisville in the 2013 championship game which totally happened regardless of what the NCAA says.

Here’s how to watch the first national semifinal:

Time: 6:09 p.m. ET
Radio: Westwood One
TV: TBS (national broadcast); TruTV (Loyola teamcast); TNT (Michigan teamcast)
Stream: March Madness Live; Hulu (subject to regional availability); CBS All-Access; Fubo
Broadcast Pairings: Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery, Tracy Wolfson (TBS)