my-server
← Wiki Redirected from 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament

2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2023–24 season. The 85th annual edition of the tournament began on March 19, 2024, and concluded with the UConn Huskies successfully defending their title to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2007, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers, 75–60, in the championship game on April 8, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

ASUN champion Stetson and SWAC champion Grambling State made their NCAA tournament debuts. Additionally, Duquesne made its first appearance since 1977, Samford made its first appearance since 2000, McNeese made its first appearance since 2002, and Wagner made its second-ever appearance, its first since 2003.

The first round of the tournament saw the Southeastern Conference (SEC) struggle, with only three out of the initial eight teams advancing to the next round. Three SEC teams suffered first-round upsets. On the other hand, the Pac-12 Conference saw all four of their teams advance to the second round, though Arizona was the only team in the conference to make the Sweet Sixteen.

This was the first NCAA tournament since 2019 to not see a 15-seed defeat a 2-seed. All the 1 and 2-seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, marking only the fifth time it has happened and the first since 2019. Also, with No. 11 seeded NC State advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, this marked the 16th consecutive tournament where a double-digit seed made the regional semifinals. The Wolfpack eventually became the sixth 11-seed to reach the Final Four.

The Final Four consisted of UConn (second consecutive appearance), Alabama (their first Final Four appearance in program history), NC State (first appearance since 1983), and Purdue (first appearance since 1980).

With No. 1 overall seed UConn winning the championship, this was the first time that the top overall seed won the tournament since Kentucky in 2012, along with becoming the first defending champion to advance to the Sweet Sixteen since 2016.

Tournament procedure

A total of 68 teams entered the 2024 tournament. A total of 32 automatic bids are awarded to each program that won a conference tournament. The remaining 36 bids are issued "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Selection Committee also seeds the entire field from 1 to 68.

Eight teams (the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four. The winners of those games advanced to the main tournament bracket.

2024 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2024 tournament:

First Four

First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)

Regional Semi-Finals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four)

Glendale hosted the Final Four for the second time, having previously hosted in 2017.

Qualification and selection of teams

The 68 teams came from 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Automatic qualifiers

Teams who won their conference championships automatically qualify.

<span id="RegionSeeds">Seeds</span>

<section begin="RegionSeeds" /> The tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process and were published by the selection committee after the brackets were released on March 17.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>See First Four<br/> Source: <section end="RegionSeeds" />

Tournament bracket

All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time ()

First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The First Four games involve eight teams: the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams.

East regional – Boston, Massachusetts

East regional final

East regional all-tournament team

West regional – Los Angeles, California

West regional final

West regional all-tournament team

South regional – Dallas, Texas

South regional final

Related article: Tobacco Road (rivalry)

South regional all-tournament team

Midwest regional – Detroit, Michigan

Midwest regional final

Midwest regional all-tournament team

Final Four – Glendale, Arizona

National semifinals

National championship

Final Four all-tournament team

Source:

Record by conference

Game summaries and tournament notes

Tournament upsets

Per the NCAA, an upset occurs "when the losing team in an NCAA tournament game was seeded at least five seed lines better than the winning team."

The 2024 tournament saw a total of 9 upsets, with seven in the first round, one in the Sweet Sixteen and one in the Elite Eight.

Media coverage

Television

CBS Sports and TNT Sports (formerly Warner Bros. Discovery Sports during the previous 2023 tournament, and Turner Sports two years prior) have US television rights to the tournament. As part of a cycle that began in 2016, TBS televised the 2024 Final Four and the National Championship Game.

This was the first tournament with Ian Eagle as the lead play-by-play announcer.

For the first time since 1997, longtime studio host Greg Gumbel was not part of this year's March Madness coverage due to family health issues. Gumbel died from cancer on December 27, 2024.

Beginning this tournament, Max will be streaming all of its games airing on its networks (TNT, TBS and TruTv) on its Bleacher Report Sports Add-On.

CBS will continue to stream all of its games on Paramount+ and for free on March Madness Live.

Television channels

  • Selection Show – CBS
  • First Four – TruTV
  • First and Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV
  • Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16) and Finals (Elite 8) – CBS, TBS, and TruTV
  • National Semifinals (Final Four) and Championship – TBS, TNT, and TruTV

Studio hosts

  • Ernie Johnson (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Adam Lefkoe (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first, second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Adam Zucker (New York City) – First and second rounds
  • Jamie Erdahl – First and second rounds (game breaks)

Studio analysts

  • Charles Barkley (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Seth Davis (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Clark Kellogg (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Candace Parker (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Bruce Pearl (Atlanta) – Regional Semifinals
  • Kenny Smith (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Gene Steratore (New York City and Glendale) (Rules Analyst) – First Four, first and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – Second round
  • Jay Wright (Atlanta, New York City and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game

Broadcast assignments

Most watched tournament games

Radio

Westwood One had exclusive coverage of the entire tournament.

First Four

First and second rounds

Regionals

  • Tom McCarthy (Thursday)/Scott Graham (Saturday) and Jordan Cornette – East Regional at Boston, Massachusetts
  • Spero Dedes and Austin Croshere – West Regional at Los Angeles, California
  • Ryan Radtke and P. J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Dallas, Texas
  • Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel – Midwest Regional at Detroit, Michigan

Final Four and national championship

International

Internet

Video

Live video of games is available for streaming through the following means:

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app, CBS games available for free on digital media players; access to all other games requires TV Everywhere authentication through provider)
  • Paramount+ (only CBS games)
  • Max (only TBS, TNT, and truTV games)
  • Watch TBS website and app (only TBS games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch TNT website and app (only TNT games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch truTV website and app (only truTV games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • CBS website and app (only CBS games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Websites and apps of cable, satellite, and OTT providers of CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV (access required subscription)

For the app this year, a multiview which showed all games airing simultaneously was available for the second straight year.

In addition, the March Madness app will offer Fast Break, whiparound coverage of games similar to NFL RedZone on the First weekend of the tournament (First and Second rounds).

Audio

Live audio of games is available for streaming through the following means:

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app)
  • Westwood One Sports website
  • TuneIn (website and app, required TuneIn Premium subscription)
  • Varsity Network app
  • Websites and apps of Westwood One Sports affiliates

The March Madness app also supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through a native app.

See also

Notes

References