April. The month that represents the changing of seasons from winter to spring in North America.
It is also one of the best months on the sporting calendar. There aren’t better weeks in sports than this one, from the national champion being crowned in men’s college basketball to the Masters winner putting on the green jacket in Augusta, Ga.
Don’t forget about UEFA Champions League soccer action on the pitch. Quarterfinal matches get started as the field will be reduced from eight to four.
Oh, and the NBA’s regular season concludes this week. Expect lots of drama and excitement on the hardwood.
We’ll be bringing you thorough, insightful coverage from all the events this week, including news, pregame build-up, play-by-play commentary, instant reaction, analysis and much more.
Share your opinions, thoughts, hot takes and predictions with us by emailing us at live@theathletic.com. We will take the best submissions and publish them in our live coverage.
Here is the full schedule for the week:
Monday
Men’s national championship game
It’s a scintillating national championship game matchup in men’s college basketball from Indianapolis. No. 1 seed Michigan will face No. 2 seed UConn for a chance to cut down the nets at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Huskies are trying to win their third national championship in four years. UConn outlasted Illinois 71-62 in the semifinals, despite shooting 35 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines dispatched fellow No. 1 seed Arizona 91-73. Aday Mara had a game-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor.
Michigan is trying to win its first NCAA Division I national title since 1989.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. ET.
UConn celebrates after defeating Illinois in the national semifinals. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Tuesday
Champions League quarterfinal first leg — Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
UEFA Champions League quarterfinal action kicks off today. From the esteemed Estadio Bernabeu, Real Madrid squares off against Bayern Munich.
Real advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Benfica in the playoff stage before scoring five aggregate goals in the Round of 16 to knock out Manchester City.
Bayern is looking to continue its dominant form in the Champions League. In the Round of 16, Bayern trounced Atalanta, scoring 10 aggregate goals and conceding just two. It will be fascinating to see how Bayern employs left-back Alphonso Davies, who returned to Bundesliga action with the club after suffering a right hamstring strain during their Champions League win over Atalanta on March 10.
The first leg of this quarterfinal kicks off at 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET.
Wednesday
Champions League quarterfinal first leg — PSG vs. Liverpool
Champions League quarterfinal play continues with defending UCL champions PSG squaring off against Liverpool from Parc des Princes. Liverpool has a 6-0-2 record in UCL play this season, while PSG is 4-2-2.
In UCL action, Liverpool has scored 20 and conceded eight. PSG has 21 goals during Champions League play and has given up 11.
This quarterfinal first leg kicks off at 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET.
Masters Par-3 Contest
Meanwhile, the Par-3 Contest at the Masters takes place on the eve of the tournament. This is a chance to see golfers have some fun at Augusta’s par-3 course before the actual major championship starts on Thursday.
The Par-3 Contest is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.
Thursday
The Masters, first round
The first men’s golf major of the year is here. The Masters begins with the ceremonial tee shots from golfing legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson.
Then, the actual first-round festivities begin. Can Rory McIlroy defend his epic Masters win from last year, when he completed the career Grand Slam? How will world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fare as he searches for his third Masters?
It promises to be an entertaining tournament. The first group is scheduled to go after 7 a.m. ET./4 a.m. PT.
Rory McIlroy looks to defend his historic Masters win from last year. (Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
Friday
The Masters, second round
Second-round action at the Masters promises to be compelling. Golfers will look to make the cut, which will be made up of the top 50 players (including ties).
Making the cut keeps your hopes of winning the Masters alive. But for amateurs playing in this prestigious major, the dream of winning the low amateur title is still up for grabs. The amateur with the lowest score (if they make the cut) receives the Silver Cup trophy and sits in Butler Cabin for the green jacket ceremony.
The first group is scheduled to go off after 7 a.m. ET./4 a.m. PT.
Saturday
The Masters, third round
Moving day at the Masters! The third round is always entertaining.
Golfers look to get into position for the final round, where hopes of becoming a Masters champion are potentially realized. Birdies are up for grabs as you can hear lots of roars reverberate around the course.
TV coverage of the third round on CBS is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) and goes until around 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
Sunday
The Masters, final round
Sunday at the Masters. The first final round of a men’s major championship in the calendar year.
Who will be crowned Masters champion and wear the illustrious green jacket?
The final group is scheduled to tee off just after 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT).
NBA final day of regular season
Golf isn’t the only sport to pay attention to on this day. The final day of the NBA regular season promises to be fascinating. After the 15 games on tap, fans will know who makes the playoffs, who falls short, some interesting first-round matchups and the teams competing in the Play-In Tournament.
The most notable game on the agenda for me is definitely the Denver Nuggets facing the San Antonio Spurs. Who doesn’t love Nikola Jokic facing Victor Wembanyama after their epic OT game last week, which the Nuggets won 136-134.
The final day of the NBA regular season begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The Nuggets-Spurs game tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.
