Tourney ratings highest in 20 years

For the first time ever, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is being broadcast across four channels (TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV) and after day one, it seems as if this new strategy is paying off.

According to Nielsen, the four networks' combined first round coverage Thursday drew an overnight TV rating of 5.7, up 24% from the 4.6 for CBS' solo coverage in 2010.

USA Today reports the 5.7 rating is highest for the first Thursday since 1991.

Here is the game schedule for today:

12:15 PM (13) Oakland vs. (4) Texas (CBS)
12:40 PM (9) Tennessee vs. (8) Michigan (truTV)
1:40 PM (15) Akron vs. (2) Notre Dame (TBS)
2:10 PM (9) Villanova vs. (8) George Mason (TNT)
2:45 PM (12) Memphis vs. (5) Arizona (CBS)
3:10 PM (16) Hampton vs. (1) Duke (truTV)
4:10 PM (10) Florida State vs. (7) Texas A&M (TBS)
4:40 PM (16) UT-San Antonio vs. (1) Ohio State (TNT)
6:50 PM (16) Boston University vs. (1) Kansas (TBS)
7:15 PM (15) Long Island vs. (2) North Carolina (CBS)
7:20 PM (14) St. Peter's vs. (3) Purdue (TNT)
7:27 PM (11) Marquette vs. (6) Xavier (truTV)
9:20 PM (9) Illinois vs. (8) UNLV (TBS)
9:45 PM (10) Georgia vs. (7) Washington (CBS)
9:50 PM (11) Virginia Commonwealth vs. (6) Georgetown (TNT)
9:57 PM (14) Indiana State vs. (3) Syracuse (truTV)