What to look for on Selection Sunday
- CBS announced the men's brackets tonight, revealing top-seeded UConn, UNC, Houston and Purdue.
- The women's selection show on ESPN revealed one-seeds South Carolina, Iowa, Texas and USC.
- A reminder on how this worked: It's not the best 68 teams, per se, that made the tournaments. The field is built on 32 automatic qualifiers — teams that have won their conference tournaments — and then the next 36 best teams (which didn't win their league tourneys) that get at-large bids based on their performance over the season.
- Viewers of Selection Sunday not only saw the brackets of who will play whom during play-in and opening-round games appearing in real time, but they also got a front row seat to different teams' watch parties and subsequent celebrations.
- The men's tournament culminates in the title game Monday, April 8, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
- A woman's champion will be crowned Sunday, April 7, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
That's all, folks
Tune in to the start of the men's tournament Thursday and the women's tournament Friday and be sure to get your picks in before then.
Here's to another Madness-filled March, with many upsets and wild moments likely to come.
Regional 4 in Portland
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Drexel
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 9 Florida State
No. 5 Utah vs. No. 12 South Dakota State
No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 13 UC Irvine
No. 6 Tennessee vs No. 11 Green Bay
No. 3 N.C. State vs. No. 14 Chattanooga
No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Maryland
No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi making its first March Madness appearance
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ... welcome to the Big Dance! The Islanders are making their women’s March Madness debut as a 16-seed.
Regional 3 in Portland
No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
No. 8 Kansas vs. No. 9 Michigan
No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt/Columbia
No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 Marshall
No. 6 Syracuse vs. No. 11 Auburn/Arizona
No. 3 UConn vs. No. 14 Jackson State
No. 7 Duke vs. No. 10 Richmond
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Maine
Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes come out on top
No surprise, Iowa’s a one-seed in the women’s bracket. Caitlin Clark — NCAA Division I basketball’s overall top scorer — and the Hawkeyes will take on either Holy Cross or UT Martin.
Regional 2 in Albany
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 16 Holy Cross/University of Tennessee-Martin
No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 Princeton
No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Drake
No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 13 Portland
No. 6 Louisville vs No. 11 Middle Tennessee
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 Rice
No. 7 Creighton vs. No. 10 UNLV
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 15 California Baptist
Regional 1 in Albany
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Sacred Heart/Presbyterian
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Michigan State
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 Fairfield
No. 6 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Texas A&M
No. 3 Oregon State vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Marquette
No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Kent State
It's time!
Stay tuned for the women's March Madness bracket.
We'll be back for the women's bracket ...
... at 8 p.m. ET. See you there.
That's all ... for now
The men's bracket is wrapped! Be sure to get your picks in before tipoff Thursday.
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State
Long Beach State, with a coach who had agreed to mutually part ways with the program before his team ended up winning the Big West Tournament, is ready to meet Arizona on the court in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada
Catch this game Thursday live from Salt Lake City.
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate
This matchup takes place Friday in Memphis, Tennessee.
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico
This is Clemson's 14th March Madness appearance, but it has never made it to the Final Four.
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Charleston
These Southern teams will play Friday in Spokane.
No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon
Catch this matchup on Friday in Spokane.
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State
These sides hit the court Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner
Kicking off the West Region is another March Madness favorite — UNC.
Midwest is all wrapped up
Just one more region to go!
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's
America’s team returns! The Saint Peter’s Peacocks won us over in 2022 when the school became the first men’s 15-seed to reach the men’s Elite 8. Now, they’re back in the Big Dance as a 15-seed once again.
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Virginia/Colorado State
Which of these First Four teams will face the Longhorns on Thursday?
No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron
Creighton and Akron will be joining South Carolina and Oregon in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon
Tipoff will be Thursday in Pittsburgh.
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford
The Jayhawks are back for another March Madness appearance.
No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese
These Midwest Region teams will battle it out Thursday in Salt Lake City.
No. 8 Utah State vs. No. 9 TCU
These teams will meet on the court in Indianapolis on Friday.
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 16 Montana State/Grambling State
Purdue held on to its No. 1 seed despite being knocked out of the Big 10 Tournament early.
That’s all for the South
We’re already halfway through the men’s tournament seeding.
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky
Catch this game Friday in Indianapolis.
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Boise State/Colorado
Boise State and Colorado will face off in a play-in game, dubbed the First Four, on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland
You'll also see these two teams in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 N.C. State
This game will happen on the first day of the Madness, Thursday, in Pittsburgh.
No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 Vermont
The teams will meet in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday for each of their first games of the tournament.
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison
All eyes were on Wisconsin earlier today in the Big 10 Tournament final against Illinois. Had it pulled through with the win, the Midwestern team might have been seeded higher.
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M
This tight matchup will be a tough one, thanks to Texas A&M being "sizzling hot," according to the Selection Sunday announcers.
The East Region is all set
The men’s East Region is stacked. Three of last year’s Final Four are in the one region, which was just announced.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Longwood
The South Region kicks off with Houston on top.
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State
Iowa State took home the Big 12 Tournament trophy after upsetting Houston.
No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake
This is Washington State's first time in the tournament since 2008.
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State
Illinois was almost knocked out of the Big 10 Tournament by Wisconsin in the finals but pulled through to take the title today.
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquense
The Duquesne men’s team is heading back to the Big Dance for the first time since 1977. It was a lock to make the tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 championship.
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale
The teams will meet up in Spokane on Friday.
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 University of Alabama-Birmingham
The teams will face off in Spokane, Washington.
No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern
Northwestern was knocked out of the Big 10 Tournament as the four-seed when Wisconsin upset it on its path to the final.
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson
The East Region kicks off with the first matchup of the March Madness season.
Long Beach State coach still has a job
Don Monson didn't spend the day sending out résumés and looking up want ads today.
The Long Beach State coach, who was told Monday he'll be out of job, still has work to do after his team came out of nowhere to win the Big West Tournament to extend the lame duck's career by another week.
"What a great week, what a great week," Monson told reporters late last night after his team beat UC Davis in the title game. "And what a privilege to have a team that has that kind of character."
It’s March Madness, and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball games
People in North Carolina may have a little more riding on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as they will be able to legally bet on the games through their smartphone apps and computers for the first time.
For the sixth straight year, the number of states allowing legal sports betting has expanded since the last rendition of March Madness. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form sports betting, including 30 states that allow online wagering, along with the nation’s capital.
That’s up from one state, Nevada, where people could legally wager on games during the 2018 college basketball tournaments, before the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for expansion.
The rules for sports betting vary by state. Some states prohibit bets on home-state college teams or the performances of specific players. Others allow bets not only on the outcomes of any college games but also on a variety of other things, such as the number of points, rebounds and assists that a particular player will tally.
Click through to read more about some things to know about sports betting as the tourneys open, with the men’s games starting Tuesday and the women’s competition beginning Wednesday.
No team more deserving of a restful Sunday than N.C. State
Before North Carolina State goes dancing, Wolfpack players will be off their feet, taking it easy today with the most well-earned time off of any team in March Madness.
N.C. State won a stunning five games in five days, capturing the ACC Tournament title and possibly denying an at-large bid to hopefuls like St. John's, Virginia or Seton Hall.
N.C. State's miraculous wins this past week evoked memories of the Wolfpack's 1983 run through the ACC tourney, which led to the national title.
Temple, under gambling probe, playing for tourney's last spot
Temple and UAB are playing for the last spot in March Madness, a week after the famed Philadelphia school acknowledged it's looking into possible gambling irregularities involving the basketball program.
The Owls and the Blazers are fighting for the American Athletic Conference title and the league's automatic bid in a game that'll end at about 5 p.m. ET.
The nation's final contest today, the Big Ten's title game between Wisconsin and Illinois, will probably end closer to 5:30 p.m., but the loser here is a shoo-in for an at-large bid.
Kent State coach backing player after brutal mistake
The sun appeared over northeast Ohio at 7:33 a.m. ET today just as Kent State coach Rob Senderoff predicted, in hopes Earth's rotation brings solace to his heartbroken team.
The Golden Flashes were on the verge of winning the MAC championship and the league's automatic bid after Cli'Ron Hornbeak's putback gave Kent State a 61-60 lead over rival Akron with 6.2 seconds left.
That's when Hornbeak’s teammate Julius Rollins shocked everyone inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland by intentionally fouling Akron's Greg Tribble as the Kent State player believed his team was behind and needed to stop the clock. Instead, Tribble made two free throws and sent the Zips dancing.
“The thing that I told him [Rollins] ... if it's the worst thing that ever happens to you when you’re 50 years old like I am, [then] you’ve lived a pretty, pretty charmed life," Senderoff told reporters. “Tomorrow the sun will come up. It will be a little cloudy for me and for our guys, but the sun will come up tomorrow."