Men’s March Madness 2024 live updates: Selection Sunday bracket predictions, schedule
Men’s college basketball launches fully into March Madness 2024 with tonight’s Selection Sunday show, when teams across the country learn if they'll earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest men’s bracket reveal updates, conference tournament highlights, news, analysis and more throughout the day. Follow along.
When is Selection Sunday 2024?
The men’s bracket reveal is Sunday, March 17, 2024.
What channel is Selection Sunday on?
CBS will broadcast the men’s Selection Sunday show.
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What time does March Madness bracket come out?
The men's Selection Sunday show starts at 6 p.m. ET.
How many teams make March Madness?
There will be 68 teams that make the tournament, including the eight teams that will have to play in the First Four games. Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
Who plays in March Madness?
The winners of the 32 conference tournaments are automatically given a spot in the tournament, regardless of record. The remaining 36 spots are at-large bids determined by the committee. Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
How are March Madness bids determined?
There are several different resources for the committee to choose the best 36 at-large teams, such as record and strength of schedule. But perhaps the most important one is the NET ranking. The NET ranking looks at a team's record and résumé, which then ranks all teams in Division I. Games are divided into four quadrants, and a team's quadrant record depends on who they are playing and where. This is how quadrant games are broken down:
- Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
- Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
- Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
- Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353
The more Quad 1 wins, the better chance for a team to be selected in the tournament. Considering the NET ranking and other factors, the committee will then come up with the 36 best at-large teams to be selected. There are no limits to how many teams from a certain conference gets selected. Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
2024 March Madness automatic bids
There are 32 conference tournaments that produce 32 automatic bids. The other 36 at-large teams selected to the field will be announced on Selection Sunday. Here is who has secured automatic bids so far (entering Sunday):
- Ohio Valley Conference: Morehead State Eagles
- Big South Conference: Longwood Lancers
- Missouri Valley Conference: Drake Bulldogs
- Atlantic Sun Conference: Stetson Hatters
- Southern Conference: Samford Bulldogs
- Sun Belt Conference: James Madison Dukes
- Coastal Athletic Association: College of Charleston Cougars
- Horizon League: Oakland Golden Grizzlies
- Northeast Conference: Wagner Seahawks
- Summit League: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
- West Coast Conference: Saint Mary’s Gaels
- Southland Conference: McNeese Cowboys
- Patriot League: Colgate Raiders
- Big Sky Conference: Montana State Bobcats
- America East Conference: Vermont Catamounts
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Howard Bison
- Big 12 Conference: Iowa State Cyclones
- Mountain West Conference: New Mexico Lobos
- Big East Conference: UConn Huskies
- Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Saint Peter’s Peacocks
- Mid-American Conference: Akron Zips
- Atlantic Coast Conference: North Carolina State Wolfpack
- Conference USA: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
- Pac-12 Conference: Oregon Ducks
- Big West Conference: Long Beach State Beach
- Southwestern Athletic Conference: Grambling Tigers
- Western Athletic Conference: Grand Canyon Lopes
- Atlantic 10 Conference: Duquesne Dukes
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How are March Madness seeds determined?
After the committee selects the 68 teams to be in the tournament, it ranks all of them 1 through 68. Once all the teams are ranked, every four teams are evaluated in the same seed line. Example: Nos. 1-4 will be the No. 1 seeds, Nos. 5-8 will be the No. 2 seeds and so on. The four lowest-ranked automatic qualifying teams will play in the First Four games as 16 seeds, while the four lowest at-large teams will compete in the other First Four games, typically as a No. 11 or No. 12 seed. Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
How does Selection Sunday work?
On Selection Sunday, the full brackets will be revealed on CBS for the men and ESPN for the women, with matchups for every first-round game, as well as location, unveiled. A 12-person selection committee decides who will be in the tournament, as well as where each team is seeded and will play. Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
When is the first March Madness game?
Games for the men's First Four are March 19-20. First-round games for the men are March 21-22.
March Madness 2024 game locations
Here are all the venues hosting tournament games over the next several weeks.
Round City Venue Dates First Four Dayton, Ohio UD Arena March 19-20 First/Second Brooklyn. N.Y. Barclays Center March 22-24 First/Second Charlotte, N.C. Spectrum Center March 21-23 First/Second Indianapolis Gainbridge Fieldhouse March 22-24 First/Second Omaha, Neb. CHI Health Center March 21-23 First/Second Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena March 21-23 First/Second Salt Lake City Delta Center March 21-23 First/Second Spokane, Wash. Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena March 22-24 First/Second Memphis, Tenn. FedExForum March 22-24 Sweet 16 + Elite Eight Boston TD Garden March 28-30 Sweet 16 + Elite Eight Dallas American Airlines Center March 29-31 Sweet 16 + Elite Eight Detroit Little Caesars Arena March 29-31 Sweet 16 + Elite Eight Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena March 28-30 Final Four Glendale, Ariz. State Farm Stadium April 6 National championship Glendale, Ariz. State Farm Stadium April 8 How is it determined where teams play in March Madness?
Once the seeds for each team are determined, the committee must then place them in the regional location that makes sense and preferred, as well as the first- and second-round sites. All tournament locations are predetermined, so the higher the seed, the better the site location for the team.
Example, if the No. 1 seed is Houston, it will get to play in the South region, which takes place in Dallas. It likely would get to pick the location for the first two games, which would be in Memphis since it's the closest spot to the school. The No. 1 seeds typically get the best possible location for them, and it could be a prime location for seeds Nos. 2-4 as well. The committee attempts to put the bracket in snake order, like the No. 5 overall seed will be in the same region as the No. 4 overall seed, but there are restrictions such as:
- First four teams from the same conference must be in different regions if they are a Nos. 1-4 seed.
- Teams from the same conference cannot meet before a regional final if they played each other three times during the regular season and conference tournament.
- Teams from the same conference cannot meet before a regional semifinal if they played each other two times during the regular season and conference tournament.
- Teams from the same conference cannot meet before the second round if they played each other once during the regular season and conference tournament.
- Here’s everything you need to know about how Selection Sunday works.
March Madness 2024 schedule
Here is the men's schedule:
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 17
- 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.
How to watch March Madness 2024
CBS will air the Selection Sunday show, as well as the Final Four and the national championship game. TruTV will carry the First Four. CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV will air first- and second-round games.
CBS and TBS will air Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. CBS will air the men's Final Four and championship game.
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Five most overpaid men's college basketball coaches: John Calipari, Mike Woodson make list
Whether you believe Kentucky coach John Calipari is overpaid could depend on the year, the month, even the week. Calipari earned his mega-millions salary when the Wildcats were among the most dominant teams in Division I, capturing one national championship in 2012 and playing for others in 2011, 2014 and 2015. But Kentucky hasn't been back to the Final Four since even as Calipari's annual salary continues to rise ― now at $8.5 million in total compensation for 2023-24, second-most in the country.
USA TODAY Sports compiled pay information from each school in the Power Five conferences and from each school outside those conferences whose team has appeared in at least three of the past five NCAA tournaments.
While Kentucky has had moments this season, including a late run that has lifted the Wildcats toward the top of the SEC, the results and payoff given the school's mammoth investment into Calipari and the program makes him yet again one of the most overpaid coaches in the country. Read Paul Myerberg’s full story here.
How much does John Calipari make?
Kentucky’s John Calipari is now at $8.5 million in total compensation for 2023-24, second-most in the country
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