Current tournament format NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament

1 current tournament format

1.1 qualifying
1.2 regions

1.2.1 seeding , bracket
1.2.2 venues


1.3 rounds

1.3.1 first four
1.3.2 first , second rounds
1.3.3 regional semifinals , finals
1.3.4 final four

current tournament format

a ticket 1988 tournament held in kansas city, missouri

the ncaa has changed tournament format several times since inception, representing increase of number of teams. section describes tournament has operated since 2011. changes during course of history, , see how tournament operated during past years, go format history, below.

qualifying

a total of 68 teams qualify tournament played during march , april. thirty-two teams earn automatic bids respective conference champions. of 32 division all-sports conferences (defined sponsor men s , women s basketball), 32 hold championship tournaments determine team receives automatic qualification. ivy league last division conference did not conduct tournament; through 2015–16 season, awarded tournament berth regular-season champion. if 2 or more ivies shared regular-season championship, one-game playoff (or series of such playoffs) used decide tournament participant. since 2017, league conducts own postseason tournament.

the remaining 36 tournament slots granted at-large bids, determined selection committee in nationally televised event on sunday preceding first 4 play-in tournament , dubbed selection sunday media , fans, group of conference commissioners , school athletic directors appointed service ncaa. committee determines sixty-eight teams seeded , placed in bracket.

regions

the tournament divided 4 regions , each region has @ least sixteen teams, 4 additional teams added per decision of selection committee. (see: first four, below.) committee charged making each of 4 regions close possible in overall quality of teams wherever come from.

the names of regions vary year year, , broadly geographic (such west , south , east , , midwest ). 1956 1984, mideast , corresponding southeastern region of united states, designation used. 1985 1998, mideast region known southeast , again changed south starting 1999. selected names correspond location of 4 cities hosting regional finals. 2004 2006, regions named after host cities, e.g. phoenix regional in 2004, chicago regional in 2005, , minneapolis regional in 2006, reverted traditional geographic designations beginning in 2007. example, during 2012, regions named south (atlanta, georgia), east (boston, massachusetts), midwest (st. louis, missouri), , west (phoenix, arizona).

seeding , bracket

the selection committee ranks whole field of 68 teams 1 68. (it did not make information public until 2012.) committee divides teams amongst regions. top 4 teams distributed among 4 regions, , each receive no. 1 seed within region. next 4 ranked teams distributed among 4 regions, each receiving no. 2 seed in region, , process continues down line, exceptions (as explained below). carried logical conclusion, give each region seventeen teams—seeded no. 1 no. 17—but, each region has sixteen teams (from no. 1 no. 16). can seen below, actual seeding depends on (among other factors) rankings of 8 teams committee selects first 4 opening round (see next paragraph , first 4 section below).

the selection committee instructed place teams whenever possible, teams same conference cannot meet until regional finals. additionally, instructed avoid possible rematches of regular-season or previous year s tournament games during first , second rounds. further restrictions listed in venues section below. comply these other requirements, selection committee may move 1 or several teams or down 1 seed respective original seed line. thus, example, 40th overall ranked team, slated no. 10 seed within particular region, may instead moved no. 9 seed or moved down no. 11 seed. in addition, rankings of 8 teams selected first 4 play-in round likewise affect final seedlings.

the bracket established, , during semifinals, champion of top-ranked number 1 seed s region play against champion of fourth-ranked number 1 seed s region, , champion of second-ranked number 1 seed s region play against champion of third-ranked number 1 seed s region.

venues

in men s tournament, sites nominally neutral: teams prohibited playing tournament games on home courts prior final 4 (though in cases, team may fortunate enough play in or near home state or city). current ncaa rules, court on team hosts more 3 regular-season games (in other words, not including conference tournament games) considered home court . exception rule university of dayton, allowed play game in first 4 round in home arena did in 2015.

however, while team can moved different region if home court being used during of first 2 weeks of tournament, final 4 venue determined years in advance, , cannot changed regardless of participants. reason, in theory, team play in final 4 on home court; in reality, unlikely, since final 4 staged @ venue larger college basketball arenas. (the recent team play final 4 in home city butler during 2010; home court seated 10,000 , has since been reduced capacity of 9,100, opposed 70,000-plus seating capacity of lucas oil stadium in final 4 configuration.)

rounds

the tournament consists of several rounds. named, in order of first last:

the first four
the first round (the round of 64)
the second round (the round of 32)
the regional semi-finals (participating teams known popularly sweet sixteen )
the regional finals (participating teams known commonly elite 8 )
the national semi-finals (participating teams referred officially final 4 )
the national championship

the tournament single-elimination, increases chance of underdog , lower-seeded cinderella team advancing subsequent rounds. although these lower-ranked teams forced play stronger teams, need 1 win advance (instead of needing win majority of games in series, in professional basketball).

first four

the university of dayton arena, has hosted first 4 games since round s inception in 2011, precursor, single play-in game held 2001 2010. of 2017, arena has hosted 115 tournament games, of venue.

the first 4 refers number of games played, not number of teams. first held during 2011, first 4 games between 4 lowest-ranked at-large teams , 4 lowest-ranked automatic-bid (conference-champion) teams. not 8 lowest-ranked teams in field; 4 lowest-ranked at-large teams have higher rankings among entire field of 68 several of automatic-bid teams coming smaller conferences. 4 games held determine teams assume place in first round. unlike other games in tournament, teams not matched disparity intended. rather, equality governs match-ups (e.g., in 1 game, 2 teams—usually 2 of 4 lowest-ranked automatic-bid teams—might play no. 16 seeding in first round, while in game, 2 teams—usually 2 of 4 lowest-ranked at-large teams—are trying advance no. 11 seed).

while other ncaa tournament games played thursday through sunday (and final game on monday), first 4 games played earlier in first week, between selection sunday , first round on thursday , friday. of 2017, 2 games played on tuesday following selection sunday, , remaining 2 played on wednesday. once first 4 games played, 4 winning teams assume places in bracket of 64 teams, , must play again later week, little rest. typically, 2 tuesday winners paired next opponent on thursday; and, wednesday winners play on friday. second round being played on saturday , sunday, scheduling allows 6 consecutive days of televised competition during first week of tournament.

every year first 4 has taken place, @ least 1 of teams participated went on win in round of 64. in 2011, vcu part of first 4 , advanced way final four. in 2012, south florida advanced round of 32. in 2013, la salle advanced sweet 16 defeating boise state, kansas state, , ole miss. in 2014, tennessee advanced sweet 16 defeating iowa, massachusetts, , mercer. following year, dayton won first 4 game on home court , defeated providence advance round of 32. in 2016, wichita state advanced round of 32 defeating vanderbilt , arizona. in 2017, usc won first round against smu lost baylor in round of 32.

prior expanding 65 68 teams, 2 lowest seeded teams played in ncaa men s division basketball opening round game. of previous-format single opening round games , current-format first 4 games, have been played @ university of dayton arena in dayton, ohio.

first 4 at-large seeds
note: each year, 4 lowest-ranked at-large teams compete in 2 of first 4 games. 2 winners receive no. 11, 12, 13, or 14 seed in 1 of regions. table below shows years in each of 4 seeds claimed 1 of 2 at-large winners.


first , second rounds

during first round (the round of 64), no. 1 seed plays no. 16 seed in regions; no. 2 team plays no. 15, , on. effect of seeding structure ensures better team ranked (and therefore seeded), worse-ranked (and presumably weaker) opponents be. sixteen first-round games played on thursday following first 4 round. remaining sixteen first-round games played friday. @ point contestants reduced 32 teams.

the second round (the round of 32) played on saturday , sunday after first round. second round consists of thursday s winners playing in 8 games on saturday, followed friday s winners playing in remaining 8 second-round games on sunday. thus, after first weekend, 16 teams remain, commonly known sweet sixteen.

regional semifinals , finals

the teams still competing after first weekend advance regional semifinals (the sweet sixteen) , finals (the elite eight), played during second weekend of tournament (again, games split thursday/saturday , friday/sunday). 4 regional semi-final games played thursday , 4 played friday. after friday s games, 8 teams (the elite eight) remain. saturday features 2 regional final games matching thursday s winners , sunday s 2 final games match friday s winners. after second weekend of tournament, 4 regional champions final four.

final four

the winners of each region advance final four, national semifinals played on saturday , national championship played on monday. noted above, regional champion play which, , in semifinal play, determined overall rankings of 4 no. 1 seeds in original bracket, not on ranks of eventual final 4 teams themselves.