Get ready for the most exciting three weeks in sports! March Madness is the famous NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament held every March in the USA. It's hugely popular for its thrilling surprises, intense games, and passionate fans. The tournament has 68 college teams competing in a knockout format to find the national champion. Get set for a wild ride as teams from across the country battle it out for glory!

2024 March Madness: What You Need to Know

March Madness team selection

The tournament setup includes 32 winners from Division I conference tournaments and 36 teams chosen by a selection committee.  Prior to the start of the first round, the field will be whittled down to 64 teams as eight teams compete in the First Four play-in round. Every conference secures a minimum of one team in the tournament, but the majority of additional spots, known as at-large bids, typically favour the prestigious Power Five conferences:

• the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC),
• the Big Ten,
• the Big 12,
• the Pac-12,
• and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

However, uncertainty clouds the future of the Pac-12, with 10 out of its 12 schools set to depart for other conferences in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.

2024 March Madness: schedule and format

The tournament already kicked off with Selection Sunday on March 17th, where the teams and brackets were unveiled. Teams were seeded and assigned to one of four regions, each with its unique matchups. The tournament advances through various stages, starting with the First Four, then moving to the Round of 64, followed by the Round of 32, the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and ending in the highly anticipated National Championship game. This years exact March Madness schedule is as it follows:

• Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 17 on CBS
• First Four: March 19-20
• First round: March 21-22
• Second round: March 23-24
• Sweet 16: March 28-29
• Elite Eight: March 30-31
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

2024 March Madness: games to watch

The UConn Huskies are stepping into the 2024 NCAA Tournament with high hopes of repeating their championship win, aiming to be the first team since Florida in 2006-2007 to achieve this feat. They're the favorites to win the March Madness bracket for 2024. But, it's important to remember that the top-seeded team hasn't won the National Championship in the last nine NCAA Tournaments. If you are short on time and only have time to watch a few game we give you 3 exciting 2024 March Madness matchups you won't want to miss:

• 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 UAB,
• 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern in the East Region,
• 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale also in the East Region.

In each game, it's all or nothing, making every match a thrilling showdown in the single-elimination setup. Get ready for an intense month of basketball excitement as March Madness 2024 unfolds, promising a spectacle of hoop frenzy like no other. March Madness is a blast for everyone, sports fans or not, because it's so unpredictable. Basketball teams that aren't supposed to win often do, making it really exciting. The nickname "March Madness" fits perfectly because of all the excitement and frenzy around the tournament. Millions of people worldwide join in, filling out brackets, going to games, and watching on TV or online.