NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division I level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played mostly during March, the tournament consists of 68 teams and was first conducted in 1939. Known for its upsets of favored teams, it has become one of the greatest annual sporting events in the US.

The 68-team format was adopted in 2011; it had remained largely unchanged since 1985 when it expanded to 64 teams. Before then, the tournament size varied from as little as 8 to as many as 53. The field was restricted to conference champions until at-large bids were extended in 1975 and teams were not fully seeded until 1979. In 2020, the tournament was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic; in the subsequent season, the tournament was contested completely in the state of Indiana as a precaution.

Thirty-seven different schools have won the tournament to date. UCLA has the most with 11 championships; their coach John Wooden has the most titles of any coach with 10. The University of Kentucky (UK) has eight championships, the University of Connecticut (UConn) and the University of North Carolina have six championships, Duke University and Indiana University have five championships, the University of Kansas (KU) has four championships, and the University of Florida and Villanova University have three championships. Seven programs are tied with two national championships, and 23 teams have won the national championship once.

All tournament games are broadcast by CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV under the program name '' NCAA March Madness''. With a contract through 2032, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery pay $891 million annually for the broadcast rights. The NCAA distributes revenue to participating teams based on how far they advance, which provides significant funding for college athletics. The tournament has become part of American popular culture through bracket contests that award money and other prizes for correctly predicting the outcomes of the most games. In 2023, ''Sports Illustrated'' reported that an estimated 60 to 100 million brackets are filled out each year.

History

Early era (1939–1970)

The first tournament was held in 1939 and was won by Oregon. It was the idea of Ohio State coach Harold Olsen. The National Association of Basketball Coaches operated the first tournament for the NCAA.

From 1939 to 1950, the NCAA tournament consisted of eight teams, with each selected from a geographical district. Multiple conferences were considered part of each district, such as the Missouri Valley and the Big Seven conferences in one district and the Southern and Southeastern conferences in another, which often led to top-ranked teams being left out of the tournament. The issue came to a head in 1950, when the NCAA suggested that third-ranked Kentucky and fifth-ranked North Carolina State compete in a playoff game for a bid, but Kentucky refused, believing they should be given the bid as the higher-ranked team. In response, the NCAA doubled the field to 16 in 1951, adding two additional districts and six spots for at-large teams. Conferences could still only have one team in the tournament, but multiple conferences from the same geographic district could now be included through at-large bids. This development helped the NCAA compete with the National Invitation Tournament for prestige.

In the eight team format, the tournament was split into the East and West Regions, with champions meeting in the national championship game. The first two rounds for each region were conducted at the same site and the national championship and, from 1946, consolation game occurred a week later. Some years, the site of the national championship was the same site as a regional championship and in other years a new site. With the expansion to 16 teams, the tournament retained the original format of the national semifinals being the regional finals in 1951. For the 1952 tournament, there were four regions named East-1, East-2, West-1, West-2, all played at separate sites. The regional champions met for the national semifinals and championship at a separate location a week later, establishing the format with two final rounds of the tournament (although the name "Final Four" would not be used in branding until the 1980s).

The 1953 tournament expanded to include 22 teams and added a fifth round, with ten teams receiving a bye to the regional semifinals. The number of teams would fluctuate from 22 to 25 teams over the next two decades, but the number of rounds remained the same. The double region naming was kept until 1956, when the regions were named the East, Midwest, West, and Far West. In 1957, the regions were named East, Mideast, Midwest, and West, which remained until 1985. Regions were paired in the national semifinals based on their geographic locations, with the two eastern regions meeting in one semifinal and two western regions meeting in the other semifinal.

Beginning in 1946, a national third-place game was held before the championship game. Regional third-place games were played in the West from 1939 and the East from 1941. Despite expansion in 1951, there were still only two regions, each with a third-place game. The 1952 tournament had four regions each with a third-place game.

This era of the tournament was characterized by competition with the National Invitation Tournament. Founded by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association one year before the NCAA tournament, the NIT was held entirely in New York City at Madison Square Garden. Because New York was the center of the press in the United States, the NIT often received more coverage than the NCAA tournament in early years. Additionally, good teams were often excluded from the NCAA tournament because each conference could only have one bid and conference champions were even excluded because of the 8-district system before 1950. Teams often competed in both tournaments during the first decade, with City College of New York winning both the NIT and NCAA tournament in 1950. Soon after, the NCAA banned teams from participating in both tournaments.

Pre-modern era (1971–1984)

Two major changes over the course of the early 1970s led to the NCAA becoming the preeminent post-season tournament for college basketball. First, the NCAA added a rule in 1971 that banned teams who declined an invitation to the NCAA tournament from participating in other post-season tournaments. This was in response to eighth-ranked Marquette declining its invitation in 1970 and instead participating in and winning the NIT after coach Al McGuire complained about their regional placement. Since then, the NCAA tournament has clearly been the major one, with conference champions and the majority of the top-ranked teams participating. Second, the NCAA allowed multiple teams per conference starting in 1975. This was in response to several highly ranked teams being denied bids during the early 1970s. These included South Carolina in 1970, which was undefeated in conference play but lost in the ACC tournament; second-ranked USC in 1971, which was left out because their conference was represented by top-ranked UCLA; and Maryland in 1974, which was ranked #3 but lost the ACC tournament championship game to eventual national champion North Carolina State.

To accommodate at-large bids, the tournament expanded in 1975 to include 32 teams, allowing a second team to represent a conference in addition to the conference champion, and eliminated byes. In 1979, the tournament expanded to 40 teams and added a sixth round; 24 teams received byes to the second round. Eight more teams were added in 1980 with only 16 teams receiving byes, and the restriction on the number of at-large bids from a conference was removed. In 1983, a seventh round with four play-in games was added; an additional play-in game was added in 1984. Beginning in 1973, the regional pairings for the national semifinals were rotated on a yearly basis instead of the two eastern and two western regions always playing.

Seeding also began during this era, adding drama and ensuring better teams had better paths to the Final Four. In 1978, teams were seeded in two separate pools based on their qualification method. Each region had four teams which automatically qualified ranked Q1–Q4 and four teams which received an at-large bid ranked L1–L4. In 1979, all teams in each region were seeded 1 through 10, without regards for their qualification method.

The national semifinals were moved to Saturday and the championship was moved to Monday evening in 1973, where they have remained since. Before the championship had been played on Saturday and the semifinals two days before.

The third-place games were eliminated during this era, with the last regional third-place games played in 1975 and the last national third-place game played in 1981.

Modern era (1985–present)

In 1985, the tournament expanded to 64 teams, eliminating all byes and play-ins. For the first time, all teams had to win six games to win the tournament. This expansion led to increased media coverage and popularity in American culture. Until 2001, the First and Second Rounds occurred at two sites in each region.

In 1985, the Mideast Region was renamed the Southeast Region. In 1997, the Southeast Region became the South Region. From 2004 to 2006, the regions were named after their host cities, e.g. the Phoenix regional in 2004, the Chicago regional in 2005, and the Minneapolis regional in 2006, but reverted to the traditional geographic designations beginning in 2007. For the 2011 tournament, the South Region was the Southeast Region and the Midwest Region the Southwest Region; both returned to their previous names in 2012.

The 1996 Final Four was the last to take place in a venue built specifically for basketball. Since then, the Final Four has exclusively been played in large indoor football stadiums.

Beginning in 2001, the field was expanded from 64 to 65 teams, adding to the tournament what was informally known as the "play-in game". This was in response to the creation of the Mountain West Conference during 1999. Originally, the winner of the Mountain West's tournament did not receive an automatic bid, due to standard NCAA rules regarding new conferences and automatic bids. As an alternative to eliminating an at-large bid, the NCAA expanded the tournament to 65 teams. The #64 and #65 seeds were seeded in a regional bracket as 16 seeds, and then played the opening round game on the Tuesday preceding the first weekend of the tournament. This game was always played at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Starting in 2004, the selection committee revealed the overall rankings among the #1 seeds. Based on these rankings, the regions were paired so that the #1 overall seed would play the #4 overall seed in a national semifinal if both teams made the Final Four. This was to prevent the top two teams from meeting before the finals, as was largely considered the case in 1996 when Kentucky played Massachusetts in the Final Four. Previously, regional pairings rotated yearly.

In 2010, there was speculation about increasing the tournament size to as many as 128 teams. On April 1, 2010, the NCAA announced that it was looking at expanding to 96 teams for 2011. However, three weeks later the NCAA announced a new television contract with CBS/Turner that expanded the field to 68 teams, instead of 96, starting in 2011. The First Four was created by the addition of three play-in games.Last four at-large to play in first round
ESPN.com (2010-07-13). Retrieved on 2013-08-17. Two of the First Four games pit 16 seeds against each other. The two other games, however, pit the last at-large bids against each other. The seeding for the at-large teams will be determined by the selection committee and fluctuates based on the true seed ranking of the teams. Explaining the reasoning for this format, selection committee chairman Dan Guerrero said, "We felt if we were going to expand the field it would create better drama for the tournament if the First Four was much more exciting. They could all be on the 10 line or the 12 line or the 11 line." As part of this expansion, the round of 64 was renamed the second round and the round of 32 was renamed the Third Round, with the First Four being officially the First Round. In 2016, the rounds of 64 and 32 returned to their previous names of the first round and the second round and the First Four became the official name of the opening round.

In 2016, the NCAA introduced a new "NCAA March Madness" logo for tournament-wide branding, which included bespoke tourney-exclusive courts at each of the tournament venues from the same manufacturer with the same floor composition across each round. Previously, the NCAA would use the venue's existing default floor (be it solely for college basketball or a dual-use NBA/college floor) with tournament and NCAA decals applied.

Beginning in 2017, the #1 overall seed picks the sites for their first- and second-round games and their potential regional games. Additionally, the selection committee began releasing the top 16 seeds three weeks before Selection Sunday as a bracket preview.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA cancelled the 2020 tournament. Initially, the NCAA discussed holding a shortened version with only 16 teams in the Final Four host city of Atlanta. Once the vast scale of the pandemic was understood, the NCAA cancelled the tournament, making it the first edition not to be held, and decided against releasing the brackets that the Selection Committee had been working on.

In 2021, the tournament was held entirely in the state of Indiana to reduce travel. This was to date the only time the tournament was conducted in one state. As a COVID-19 precaution, all participating teams were required to stay in NCAA-provided accommodations until they lost. The schedule was adjusted to provided extended time for COVID-19 evaluation before the tournament began, with the First Four occurring entirely on Thursday, the First and Second Rounds pushed one day back to a Friday-Monday window, and the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight pushed to a Friday-Monday window as well. Teams ranked 69–72 by the Selection Committee were put on "standby" to replace any team that withdrew from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols during the 48 hours after the brackets were announced. Only one game was declared a no contest due to COVID-19, with Oregon advancing to the second round because VCU could not participate due to COVID-19 protocols. VCU was not replaced by one of the first four teams out because the COVID-19 infections started more than two days after the brackets were announced. The tournament returned to its regular format in 2022.

In response to protests from players in the 2021 women's tournament about the differing facility quality and branding, both the men's and women's tournaments were branded as "NCAA March Madness" starting in 2022 with variations of the same tournament-wide logo used by the men's tournament. Additionally, the Final Four for the men's tournament was branded as the "Men's Final Four" beginning in 2022, reflecting the "Women's Final Four" branding in use for that tournament since 1987.

Evolution overview

Notes

Format

The tournament consists of 68 teams competing in seven rounds of a single-elimination bracket. Thirty-two teams automatically qualify for the tournament by winning their conference tournament, played during the two weeks before the tournament, and thirty-six teams qualify by receiving an at-large bid based on their performance during the season. The Selection Committee determines the at-large bids, ranks all the teams 1 to 68, and places the teams in the bracket, all of which is revealed publicly on the Sunday before the tournament, dubbed '' Selection Sunday'' by the media and fans. There is no reseeding during the tournament and matchups in each subsequent round are predetermined by the bracket.

The tournament is divided into four regions, with each region having sixteen to eighteen teams. Regions are named after the U.S. geographic area of the city hosting each regional semifinal and regional final (the tournament's third and 4th round overall). Host cities for all regions vary from year to year.

The tournament is played over three weekends, with two rounds occurring each weekend. Before the first weekend, eight teams compete in the First Four to advance to the first round. Two games pair the lowest-ranked conference champions and two games pair the lowest-ranked at-large qualifiers. The first and second rounds are played during the first weekend, the regional semifinals and regional finals during the second weekend, and the national semifinals and championship game during the third weekend. Regional rounds are branded as the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight and the third weekend is branded as the Final Four, all named after the number of teams remaining at the beginning of the round. All games, including the First Four, are scheduled so that teams will have one rest day between each game. This format has been in use since 2011, with minor changes to the schedule in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seeding and bracket

The Selection Committee, which includes conference commissioners and university athletic directors appointed by the NCAA, determines the bracket during the week before the tournament. Since the results of several conference tournaments occurring during the same week can significantly impact the bracket, the Committee often makes several brackets for different results.

To make the bracket, the Committee ranks the whole field from 1 to 68; these are referred to as the ''true seed''. The committee then divides the teams amongst the four regions, giving each a seed between No. 1 and No. 16. The same four seeds in all the regions are referred to as the ''seed line'' (i.e. the No. 6 seed line). Eight teams are doubled up and compete in the First Four. Two of the paired teams compete for No. 16 seeds, and the other two paired teams are the last at-large teams awarded bids to the tournament and compete for a seed line in the No. 10 to No. 14 range, which varies year to year based on the true seeds of the teams overall.

The top four overall seeds are placed as No. 1 seeds in each region. The regions are paired so that if all the No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four true seed No. 1 would play No. 4 and No. 2 would play No. 3. The No. 2 teams are preferably placed so that the No. 5 true seed will not be paired with the No. 1 true seed. The committee ensures competitive balance among the top four seeds in each region by adding the true seed values up and comparing the values among the regions. If there is significant deviation, some teams will be moved among the regions to balance the true seed distribution.

If a conference has two to four teams in the top four seeds, they will be placed in different regions. Otherwise, teams from the same conference are placed to avoid a rematch before the regional finals if they have played three or more times in the season, the regional semifinals if they have played twice, or the second round if they have played once. Additionally, the committee is advised to avoid rematches from the regular season and the previous years' tournament in the First Four. Finally, the committee will attempt to ensure that a team is not moved out of their preferred geographical region an inordinate number of times based on their placement in the previous two tournaments. To follow these rules and preferences, the committee may move a team off of their expected seed line. Thus, for example, the 40th overall ranked team, originally slated to be a No. 10 seed within a particular region, may instead be moved up to a No. 9 seed or moved down to a No. 11 seed.

Since 2012, the committee has released the No. 1 to 68 true seed list after announcing the bracket.
Since 2017, the Selection Committee has released a list of the top 16 teams three weeks before Selection Sunday. This list does not guarantee any team a bid, as the Committee re-ranks all teams when starting the final selection process.

The seed line of the four at-large teams competing in the First Four has varied each year, depending on the overall ranking of the at-large teams in the field.

Venues

In the men's tournament, all sites are nominally neutral; teams are prohibited from playing tournament games on their home courts during the first, second, and regional rounds. Under NCAA rules, any court on which a team hosts more than three regular-season games (not including preseason or conference tournament games) is considered a "home court". For the First Four and the Final Four, the home court prohibition does not apply because only one venue hosts these rounds. The First Four is regularly hosted by the Dayton Flyers; as such, the team competed on their home court in 2015. Because the Final Four is hosted at indoor football stadiums, it is unlikely that a team will play on their home court in the future. The last time this was possible was the 1996 when the Continental Airlines Arena, home court of Seton Hall, hosted.

For the first and second rounds, eight venues host games, four on each day of the round. Each venue hosts two sets of four teams, referred to as "pods." To limit travel, teams are placed in pods closer to their home unless seeding rules would prevent it. Because each pod includes a top 4 seed, the highest ranked teams normally get the closest sites.

The possible pods by seeding are:
* Pod A: 1 v. 16 and 8 v. 9
* Pod B: 2 v. 15 and 7 v. 10
* Pod C: 3 v. 14 and 6 v. 11
* Pod D: 4 v. 13 and 5 v. 12

Champions

Titles by year

Titles by school

:''The following is a list of all schools that have won at least one NCAA men's basketball tournament, along with the year(s) in which they won their championship(s).''

*''Vacated title not included''

Appearances

A total of 333 teams have appeared in the NCAA tournament since 1939. Because the NCAA did not split into divisions until 1957, some schools that have appeared in the tournament are no longer in Division I. Among Division I schools, 46 have never made the tournament, including 11 that are ineligible because they are transitioning to Division I.

Results by year

Streaks

Bold indicates an active current streak as of the 2025 tournament.

Rituals and influence

Cutting down the nets

As a tournament ritual, the winning team cuts down the nets at the end of regional championship games as well as the national championship game. Starting with the seniors, and moving down by classes, players each cut a single strand off each net; the head coach cuts the last strand connecting the net to the hoop, claiming the net itself. An exception to the head coach cutting the last strand came in 2013, when Louisville head coach Rick Pitino gave that honor to Kevin Ware, who had suffered a catastrophic leg injury during the tournament. This tradition is credited to Everett Case, the coach of North Carolina State, who stood on his players' shoulders to accomplish the feat after the Wolfpack won the Southern Conference tournament in 1947. CBS, since 1987 and yearly to 2015, in the odd-numbered years since 2017, and TBS, since 2016, the even-numbered years, close out the tournament with " One Shining Moment", performed by Luther Vandross.

Team awards

Just as the Olympics awards gold, silver, and bronze medals for first, second, and third place, respectively, the NCAA awards the national champions a gold-plated wooden NCAA national championship trophy. The loser of the championship game receives a silver-plated national runner-up trophy for second place. Since 2006, all four Final Four teams receive a bronze plated NCAA regional championship trophy; prior to 2006, only the teams who did not make the title game received bronze plated trophies for being a semifinalist.

The champions also receive a commemorative gold championship ring, and the other three Final Four teams receive Final Four rings.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches also presents a more elaborate marble/crystal trophy to the winning team. Ostensibly, this award is given for taking the top position in the NABC's end-of-season poll, but this is invariably the same as the NCAA championship game winner. In 2005, Siemens AG acquired naming rights to the NABC trophy, which is now called the Siemens Trophy. Formerly, the NABC trophy was presented right after the standard NCAA championship trophy, but this caused some confusion. Since 2006, the Siemens/NABC trophy has been presented separately at a press conference the day after the game.

Most Outstanding Player

After the championship trophy is awarded, one player is selected and then awarded the Most Outstanding Player award (which almost always comes from the championship team). It is not intended to be the same as a Most ''Valuable'' Player award although it is sometimes informally referred to as such.

Influence on the NBA draft

Because the NBA draft takes place just three months after the NCAA tournament, NBA executives have to decide how players' performances in a maximum of seven games, from the First Four to the championship game, should affect their draft decisions. A 2012 study for the National Bureau of Economic Research explores how the March tournament affects the way that professional teams behave in the June draft. The study is based on data from 1997 to 2010 that looks at how college tournament standouts performed at the NBA level. JournalistsResource.org, retrieved April 13, 2012

The researchers determined that a player who outperforms his regular season averages or who is on a team that wins more games than its seed would indicate will be drafted higher than he otherwise would have been. At the same time, the study indicated that professional teams do not take college tournament performance into consideration as much as they should, as success in the tournament correlates with elite professional accomplishment, particularly top-level success. "If anything, NBA teams undervalue the signal provided by unexpected performance in the NCAA March Madness tournament as a predictor of future NBA success."

Television coverage and revenues

Television contracts

Since 2011, the NCAA has had a joint contract with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery. The coverage of the tournament is split between CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV with streaming components Paramount+ (only CBS games) and Max (only TBS, TNT, and truTV games).

Broadcasters from CBS, TBS, and TNT's sports coverage are shared across all four networks, with CBS's college basketball teams supplemented with TNT's NBA teams, while studio segments take place at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City and TNT's studios in Atlanta. In the New York–based studio shows, CBS's Adam Zucker and Clark Kellogg are joined by Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley of TNT's ''Inside the NBA'' while Seth Davis and Jay Wright of CBS assist with Adam Lefkoe and Candace Parker of TNT's Tuesday night NBA coverage. While three of TNT's NBA voices, Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, and Spero Dedes are already employed by CBS in other capacities, TNT also lends analysts Stan Van Gundy, Jim Jackson, Grant Hill, and Steve Smith, secondary play-by-play man Brian Anderson, and reporters Allie LaForce and Lauren Shehadi, the latter being from TBS's MLB coverage, to CBS. In turn, CBS announcers Brad Nessler, Andrew Catalon, and Tom McCarthy appear on WBD network broadcasts along with analysts Jim Spanarkel, Bill Raftery, Dan Bonner, Steve Lappas, Brendan Haywood, and Avery Johnson, as well as reporters Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn, A. J. Ross, and Jon Rothstein, and rules analyst Gene Steratore. Announcers from other networks like Lisa Byington and Robbie Hummel from Fox, the latter also working for Peacock and Big Ten Network, Debbie Antonelli from ESPN, Jamie Erdahl from NFL Network, and Andy Katz from NCAA.com are also lent to CBS and TNT.

The most recent transaction in 2016 renews the contract through 2032 and provides for the nationwide broadcast each year of all games of the tournament. All First Four games air on truTV. A featured first- or second-round game in each time "window" is broadcast on CBS, while all other games are shown either on TBS, TNT or truTV. The regional semifinals, better known as the Sweet Sixteen, are split between CBS and TBS. CBS had the exclusive rights to the regional finals, also known as the Elite Eight, through 2013. That exclusivity extended to the entire Final Four as well, but after the 2013 tournament Turner Sports elected to exercise a contractual option for 2014 and 2015 giving TBS broadcast rights to the national semifinal matchups. CBS kept its national championship game rights.

Since 2014, CBS and TBS split coverage of the Elite Eight. Since 2016 CBS and TBS alternate coverage of the Final Four and national championship game, with TBS getting the final two rounds in even-numbered years, and CBS getting the games in odd-numbered years. ''March Madness On Demand'' would remain unchanged, although Turner was allowed to develop their own service.

The CBS broadcast provides the NCAA with over $500 million annually, and makes up over 90% of the NCAA's annual revenue. The revenues from the multibillion-dollar television contract are divided among the Division I basketball playing schools and conferences as follows:
* One-sixth of the money goes directly to the schools based on how many sports they play (one "share" for each sport starting with 14, which is the minimum needed for Division I membership).
* One-third of the money goes directly to the schools based on how many scholarships they give out (one share for each of the first 50, two for each of the next 50, ten for each of the next 50, and 20 for each scholarship above 150).
* Half of the money goes to the conferences based on how well they did in the six previous men's basketball tournaments (counting each year separately, one share for each team getting in, and one share for each win except in the Final Four and, prior to the 2008 tournament, the play-in game). In 2007, based on the 2001 through 2006 tournaments, the Big East received over $14.85 million, while the eight conferences that did not win a first-round game in those six years received slightly more than $1 million each. Most conferences distribute most of the revenue evenly to its member institutions, regardless of performance. By 2021, the value of the shares or "units" to a conference was worth US$337,141.

History of television coverage

CBS has been the major partner of the NCAA in televising the tournament since 1982, but there have been many changes in coverage since the tournament was first broadcast in 1969.

Early broadcast coverage

From 1969 to 1981, the NCAA tournament aired on NBC, but not all games were televised. The early rounds, in particular, were not always seen on TV.

In 1982, CBS obtained broadcast television rights to the NCAA tournament.

ESPN & CBS share coverage

In 1980, ESPN began showing the opening rounds of the tournament. This was the network's first contract signed with the NCAA for a major sport, and helped to establish ESPN's following among college basketball fans. ESPN showed six first-round games on Thursday and again on Friday, with CBS, from 1982 to 1990, then picking up a seventh game at 11:30 p.m. ET. Thus, 14 of 32 first-round games were televised. ESPN also re-ran games overnight. At the time, there was only one ESPN network, with no ability to split its signal regionally, so ESPN showed only the most competitive games. During the 1980s, the tournament's popularity on television soared.

CBS takes over

However, ESPN became a victim of its own success, as CBS was awarded the rights to cover all games of the NCAA tournament, starting in 1991. Only with the introduction of the so-called "play-in" game (between the 64 seed and the 65 seed) in the 2000s, did ESPN get back in the game starting in 2002 (and actually, the first time this "play-in" game was played in 2001, the game was aired on The National Network, using CBS graphics and announcers, as both CBS and TNN were both owned by Viacom at the time).

Through 2010, CBS broadcast the remaining 63 games of the NCAA tournament proper. Most areas saw only eight of 32 first-round games, seven of 16 second-round games, and four of eight regional semifinal games (out of the possible 56 games during these rounds; there would be some exceptions to this rule in the 2000s). Coverage preempted regular programming on the network, except during a two-hour window from about 5 p.m. ET until 7 p.m. ET when the local affiliates could show programming. The CBS format resulted in far fewer hours of first-round coverage than under the old ESPN format but allowed the games to reach a much larger audience than ESPN was able to reach.

During this period of near-exclusivity by CBS, the network provided to its local affiliates three types of feeds from each venue: ''constant feed'', ''swing feed'', and ''flex feed''. Constant feeds remained primarily on a given game, and were used primarily by stations with a clear local interest in a particular game. Despite its name, a constant feed occasionally veered away to other games for brief updates (as is typical in most American sports coverage), but coverage generally remained with the initial game. A swing feed tended to stay on games believed to be of natural interest to the locality, such as teams from local conferences, but may leave that game to go to other games that during their progress become close matches. On a flex feed, coverage bounced around from one venue to another, depending on action at the various games in progress. If one game was a blowout, coverage could switch to a more competitive game. A flex feed was provided when there were no games with a significant natural local interest for the stations carrying them, which allowed the flex game to be the best game in progress. Station feeds were planned in advance and stations had the option of requesting either constant or flex feed for various games.

Viewing options emerge

In 1999, DirecTV began broadcasting all games otherwise not shown on local television with its ''Mega March Madness'' premium package. The DirecTV system used the subscriber's ZIP code to black out games which could be seen on broadcast television. Prior to that, all games were available on C-Band satellite and were picked up by sports bars.

In 2003, CBS struck a deal with Yahoo! to offer live streaming of the first three rounds of games under its Yahoo! Platinum service, for $16.95 a month. In 2004, CBS began selling viewers access to ''March Madness On Demand'', which provided games not otherwise shown on broadcast television; the service was free for AOL subscribers. In 2006, ''March Madness On Demand'' was made free, and continued to be so to online users through the 2011 tournament. For 2012, it once again became a pay service, with a single payment of $3.99 providing access to all 67 tournament games. In 2013, the service, now renamed ''March Madness Live'', was again made free, but uses Turner's rights and infrastructure for TV Everywhere, which requires sign-in though the password of a customer's cable or satellite provider to watch games, both via PC/Mac and mobile devices. Those that do not have a cable or satellite service or one not participating in Turner's TV Everywhere are restricted to games carried on the CBS national feed and three hours (originally four) of other games without sign-in, or coverage via Westwood One's radio coverage. Effective with the 2018 tournament, the national semifinals and final are under TV Everywhere restrictions if they are aired by Turner networks; before then, those particular games were not subject to said restrictions.

In addition, CBS Sports Network (formerly CBS College Sports Network) had broadcast two "late early" games that would not otherwise be broadcast nationally. These were the second games in the daytime session in the Pacific Time Zone, to avoid starting games before 10 AM. These games are also available via ''March Madness Live'' and on CBS affiliates in the market areas of the team playing. In other markets, newscasts, local programming or preempted CBS morning programming are aired. CBSSN is scheduled to continue broadcasting the official pregame and postgame shows and press conferences from the teams involved, along with overnight replays.

HDTV coverage

The Final Four has been broadcast in HDTV since 1999. From 2000 to 2004, only one first-/second-round site and one regional site were designated as HDTV sites. In 2005, all regional games were broadcast in HDTV, and four first- and second-round sites were designated for HDTV coverage. Local stations broadcasting in both digital and analog had the option of airing separate games on their HD and SD channels, to take advantage of the available high definition coverage. Beginning in 2007, all games in the tournament (including all first- and second-round games) were available in high definition, and local stations were required to air the same game on both their analog and digital channels. However, due to satellite limitations, first-round "constant" feeds were only available in standard definition. Moreover, some digital television stations, such as WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, choose not to participate in HDTV broadcasts of the first and second rounds and the regional semifinals, and used their available bandwidth to split their signal into digital subchannels to show ''all'' games going on simultaneously. By 2008, upgrades at the CBS broadcast center allowed all feeds, flex and constant, to be in HD for the tournament.

International broadcasts

As of 2011, ESPN International holds international broadcast rights to the tournament, distributing coverage to its co-owned networks and other broadcasters. ESPN produces the world feed for broadcasts of the Final Four and championship game, produced using ''ESPN College Basketball'' staff and commentators.

Records

NCAA tournament win totals

The top ten programs in total NCAA victories:

*''Vacated victories not included''

Most Final Four and championship appearances

Programs with ten or more appearances in the Final Four:

*''Vacated appearances not included''

No. 1 seeds

Since 1979, the NCAA has seeded each region. Beginning in 2004, the Selection Committee announced the rankings among the 1 seeds, designating an ''overall #1 seed'' and pairing the regions so that the overall #1 seed would meet the #4 overall seed in the Final Four if both advanced. The overall rankings are denoted with the numbers in parentheses. The following teams received the top ranking in each region:
*''Vacated''
Bold denotes team also won tournament

No. 1 seeds by school

Last updated through 2025 tournament.
*''Vacated appearances not included (see #1 seeds by year and region)''

All No. 1 seeds in the Final Four

On two occasions have all four No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four:
* 2008 – Kansas (champion), North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis
* 2025 – Florida (champion), Auburn, Duke, Houston

Final Fours without a No. 1 seed

Four times (including three since the field expanded to 64 teams) the Final Four has been without a No. 1 seed:
* 1980 – No. 2 Louisville (champion), No. 8 UCLA (runner-up), No. 5 Iowa, No. 6 Purdue
* 2006 – No. 3 Florida (champion), No. 2 UCLA (runner-up), No. 4 LSU, No. 11 George Mason
* 2011 – No. 3 Connecticut (champion), No. 8 Butler (runner-up), No. 4 Kentucky, No. 11 VCU
* 2023 – No. 4 UConn (champion), No. 5 San Diego State (runner-up), No. 5 Miami (FL), No. 9 Florida Atlantic

Since 1985, there have been 4 instances of three No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four; 13 instances of two No. 1 seeds making it; and 14 instances of just one No. 1 seed reaching the Final Four. 2023 was the first Final Four without a 1, 2, or 3 seed.

No. 1 seeds in the championship game

There have been 11 occasions (ten times since the field expanded to 64) that the championship game has been played between two No. 1 seeds:
* 1982 – North Carolina beat Georgetown
* 1993 – North Carolina beat Michigan
* 1999 – Connecticut beat Duke
* 2005 – North Carolina beat Illinois
* 2007 – Florida beat Ohio State
* 2008 – Kansas beat Memphis
* 2015 – Duke beat Wisconsin
* 2017 – North Carolina beat Gonzaga
* 2021 – Baylor beat Gonzaga
* 2024 – UConn beat Purdue
* 2025 – Florida beat Houston

Since 1985 there have been 18 instances of one No. 1 seed reaching the championship game (No. 1 seeds are 13–5 against other seeds in the title game) and 8 instances where no No. 1 seed made it to the title game.

Additional No. 1 seed stats

* In 1997, Arizona became the only team to beat three No. 1 seeds in a single tournament. Arizona (No. 4 seed) beat Kansas in its own southeast region, then beat North Carolina in the Final Four and finally Kentucky in the championship game. The most No. 1 seeds any team can face in the tournament is three (provided that the team itself is not a No. 1 seed, in which case it can only face two No. 1 seeds in the tournament).
* In 2011, the highest seed to advance to the Final Four was No. 3 seed Connecticut, making the 2011 tournament the first time that neither a No. 1 seed nor a No. 2 seed advanced into the final weekend of play. In the same tournament, Butler made history as the first program to make consecutive Final Fours while not being seeded No. 1 or No. 2 in either season.
* There have been 16 teams that have entered the tournament unbeaten. Four of those teams were from UCLA, and all those Bruin teams won each of those tournaments. However, of the other 12 teams entering the tournament unbeaten, just three went on to win the tournament. For details, see table below.
* In 1980, 1981, and 1982, when the tournament was 48 teams, DePaul was seeded No. 1 but was defeated in the first round.
* Theoretically, a No. 1 seed's most difficult six-game path to win the tournament is to defeat a No. 16, a No. 8, a No. 4, a No. 2, a No. 1, and a No. 1—the highest possible opposing seeds in successive rounds. No No. 1 seed has ever won all six such games, though two teams have won the first five.
** In the 2002 tournament, Maryland reached the final after defeating teams seeded 16/8/4/2/1; they won the tournament after defeating No. 5 Indiana in the final.
** In the 2015 tournament, Wisconsin reached the final after defeating teams seeded 16/8/4/2/1. In the final, they faced No. 1 Duke with a chance to complete the full six-game path. However, Wisconsin lost the final.
* In 2023, no No. 1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time ever. Purdue lost to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round; Kansas lost to Arkansas in the second round, and both Alabama and Houston lost in the Sweet Sixteen, respectively, to San Diego State and Miami.

Teams No. 1 in national polls

Teams that ''entered'' the tournament ranked No. 1 in at least one of the AP, UPI, or USA Today polls and won the tournament:

* 1949: Kentucky (AP)
* 1951: Kentucky (AP/UPI)
* 1953: Indiana (AP/UPI)
* 1955: San Francisco (AP/UPI)
* 1956: San Francisco (AP/UPI)
* 1957: North Carolina (AP/UPI)
* 1964: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1967: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1969: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1971: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1972: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1973: UCLA (AP/UPI)
* 1974: NC State (AP/UPI)
* 1976: Indiana (AP/UPI)
* 1978: Kentucky (AP/UPI)
* 1982: North Carolina (AP/UPI)
* 1992: Duke (AP/UPI)
* 1994: Arkansas (USA Today)
* 1995: UCLA (AP/USA Today)
* 2001: Duke (AP/USA Today)
* 2012: Kentucky (AP/USA Today)
* 2024: UConn (AP/USA Today)

Undefeated teams in the tournament

The record here refers to the record before the first game of the NCAA tournament.

Undefeated teams not in the tournament

The NCAA tournament has dramatically expanded since 1975, and since the expansion to 48 teams in 1980, no unbeaten team has failed to qualify. Since by definition, a team would have to win its conference tournament, and thus secure an automatic bid to the tournament, to be undefeated in a season, the only way a team could finish undefeated and not reach the tournament is if the team is banned from postseason play. As of 2021, no team banned from postseason play has finished undefeated since 1980. Other possibilities for an undefeated team to fail to qualify: the team is independent; the conference does not have an automatic bid; or the team is transitioning from a lower NCAA division or the NAIA, during which time it is barred from NCAA-sponsored postseason play in the NCAA tournament or NIT. No men's team from a transitional D-I member has been unbeaten after its conference tournament, but one such women's team has been—California Baptist in 2021. (CBU was able to play in the women's NIT, which has never been operated by the NCAA.)

Before 1980, there were occasions on which a team achieved perfection in the regular season, yet did not appear in the NCAA tournament.
* During 1939, Long Island University finished the regular season 20–0 but decided to accept instead an invitation to the second NIT (which they won) instead of the first and only NABC tournament (later called the NCAA tournament), as the NIT was more prestigious at the time. It was not until the mid-1950s that the NCAA required that its tournament would have "first choice" in determining teams for their field. Before then, many of the more successful teams during the regular season chose to play in the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament.
* During 1940, Seton Hall finished the regular season 19–0, but their record had been built largely against weak teams and thus did not earn them an invitation to the postseason tournament.
* During 1941, Milwaukee State finished the regular season 16–0, but their record had been built largely against weak teams and thus did not earn them an invitation to the postseason tournament.
* During 1944, Army finished the regular season 15–0 but owing to World War II, the Cadets did not accept an invitation to postseason play.
* During 1954, Kentucky finished 25–0 and were invited to the tournament, but declined the invitation, due their star players being ineligible due to already graduating.
* During 1973, NC State finished the regular season 27–0 and ranked #2 (behind undefeated and eventual tournament champion UCLA) but were barred from participating in the NCAA tournament while on probation for recruiting violations.
* During 1979, Alcorn State finished the regular season 27–0, but did not receive an invitation to the NCAA tournament. The Braves accepted a bid to the NIT, where they lost in the second round to eventual NIT champion Indiana.

Repeat champions

Eight programs have repeated as national championships. UCLA is the only program to win more than 2 in a row, winning 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. These programs are:
* Oklahoma State: 1945 and 1946
* Kentucky: 1948 and 1949
* San Francisco: 1955 and 1956
* Cincinnati: 1961 and 1962
* UCLA: 1964 and 1965; 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973
* Duke: 1991 and 1992
* Florida: 2006 and 2007
* UConn: 2023 and 2024

There have been nine times in which the tournament did not include the reigning champion (the previous year's winner):
* 1978 champion Kentucky went 19–12 in 1979. They accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Clemson in the first round.
* Both 1979 champion Michigan State (12–15) and 1979 runner up Indiana State (16–11) failed to qualify for the 1980 NCAA tournament. Furthermore, neither was invited to the National Invitation Tournament, and Michigan State is the only team to finish the subsequent season with a losing record. Following the 1979 NCAA tournament, Indiana State lost Larry Bird to graduation, and Magic Johnson left Michigan State after his sophomore season to enter the NBA draft.
* 1983 champion North Carolina State went 19–14 in 1984. They accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Florida State in the first round.
* 1986 champion Louisville went 18–14 in 1987. They declined an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament.
* 1988 champion Kansas went 19–12 in 1989. The team was ineligible for postseason participation in 1989 due to NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations.
* Both 2007 champion Florida (24–12) and 2007 runner-up Ohio State (24–13) failed to qualify for the 2008 NCAA tournament. Both accepted invitations to the National Invitation Tournament. Florida lost to Massachusetts in the semifinals, and Ohio State subsequently beat Massachusetts in the championship game to win the tournament.
* 2009 champion North Carolina went 20–17 in 2010. They accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament and reached the finals, losing to Dayton.
* 2012 champion Kentucky went 21–12 in 2013. They accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Robert Morris in the first round.
* 2014 champion UConn went 20–15 in 2015. They accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Arizona State in the first round.

Upsets by low-seeded teams

Best performances by No. 16 seeds

In 2018, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the tournament, shocking Virginia 74–54. In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson repeated the feat in a 63–58 win over Purdue.

Five other No. 16 seeds have lost to No. 1 seeds by four or fewer points:

* East Tennessee State lost 72–71 to Oklahoma in 1989
*Princeton lost 50–49 to Georgetown in 1989
* Western Carolina lost 73–71 to Purdue in 1996
*Fairleigh Dickinson lost 59–55 to Michigan in 1985
*While Murray State lost 75–71 to Michigan State in 1990, it is the only No. 16 seed to have taken a game into overtime.

Mid-major teams

Mid-major teams—which are defined as teams from the America East Conference (America East), ASUN Conference (ASUN), Atlantic 10 (A-10), Big Sky Conference (Big Sky), Big South Conference (Big South), Big West Conference (Big West), Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), Conference USA (C-USA), Horizon League (Horizon), Ivy League (Ivy), Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Mountain West Conference (MW), Northeast Conference (NEC), Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), Patriot League (Patriot), Southern Conference (SoCon), Southland Conference (Southland), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Summit League (Summit), Sun Belt Conference (Sun Belt), West Coast Conference (WCC), and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)—have experienced success in the tournament.

The last time, as of , a mid-major team won the National Championship was 1990 when UNLV won with a 103–73 win over Duke, since UNLV was then a member of the Big West and since 1999 has been a member of the MW; the Big West was not then considered a power conference, nor is the MW today. However, during the tenure of UNLV's coach at the time, Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels were widely viewed as a major program despite their conference affiliation (a situation similar to that of Gonzaga since the first years of the 21st century). Additionally, the Big West received three bids in the 1990 tournament. The last time, as of , an independent mid-major team won the national championship was 1977 when Marquette won 67–59 over North Carolina. However, Marquette was not considered a "mid-major" program at that time. The very term "mid-major" was not coined until 1977 and did not see wide use until the 1990s. More significantly, Marquette was one of several traditional basketball powers that were still NCAA Division I independents in the late 1970s. Also, Marquette has been a member of widely acknowledged "major" basketball conferences since 1991, and is currently in the undeniably major Big East Conference. The last time, as of , a mid-major team from a small media market ( defined as a market that is outside of the top 25 television markets in the United States in ) won the national championship was arguably 1962 when Cincinnati, then in the MVC, won 71–59 over Ohio State of the Big Ten, since Cincinnati's TV market is listed 35th in the nation as of . However, the MVC was generally seen in that day as a major basketball conference.

The last time the Final Four was composed, as of , of at least 75% mid-major teams (3/4), i.e. excluding all present-day major conferences or their predecessors, was 1979, where Indiana State, then as now of the Missouri Valley Conference (which had lost several of its most prominent programs, among them Cincinnati, earlier in the decade); Penn, then as now in the Ivy League; and DePaul, then an independent, participated in the Final Four, only to see Indiana State lose to Michigan State. The last time, as of , the Final Four has been composed of at least 50% mid-major teams (2/4) was 2023, when Florida Atlantic, of Conference USA, and San Diego State, of the Mountain West Conference, participated in the Final Four, only to see San Diego State lose to UConn. To date, as of , no Final Four has been composed of 100% mid-major teams (4/4), therefore guaranteeing a mid-major team winning the national championship.

Arguably the tournament with the most mid-major success was the 1970 tournament, which had 63% representation of mid-major teams in the Sweet 16 (10/16), 75% representation in the Elite 8 (6/8), 75% representation in the Final 4 (3/4), and 50% representation in the national championship game (1/2). Jacksonville lost to UCLA in the National Championship, with New Mexico State defeating St. Bonaventure for third place.

This table shows the performance of mid-major teams from the Sweet Sixteen round to the national championship game from 1939—the tournament's first year—to .

;Notes
* The first column is a list of every mid-major conference. For the conferences that have predecessor names, a footnote (below the table) lists those names and years. Opposite each conference's name are the schools that have appeared in the tournament from the Sweet Sixteen onwards when the school was a member of the conference or a predecessor conference.
* Some of the conferences that are considered mid-majors were regarded as major conferences in the past. For example:
** The Missouri Valley Conference was considered a major basketball conference until many of its most prominent members left in the mid-1970s (before Indiana State's 1979 run to the title game).
** Conference USA was considered a major conference at its formation in 1995. It arguably became a mid-major in 2005, when several of its more prominent teams left for the Big East Conference, and unquestionably became a mid-major during the early-2010s realignment cycle.
** The WAC was considered a major conference until 1999, when 8 of its 16 members left to form the Mountain West Conference.
** The MW was considered a major basketball conference until 2011, when two of its most prominent basketball programs (BYU and Utah) left for other conferences (West Coast Conference and Pac-12, respectively).
* Certain programs that were members of "mid-major" conferences during deep tournament runs are nonetheless widely viewed as having been major programs at that time. The same applies to many programs that were independent before the 1980s. Examples include (but are not limited to) San Francisco in the 1950s, Marquette in the 1970s, UNLV in the last part of the 20th century, and Gonzaga since the mid-2010s.

Defunct conferences and independents

This table shows teams that saw success in the tournament from later defunct conferences, or were independents.

One conference listed, the Southwest Conference, was universally considered a major conference throughout its history. Of its final eight members, five moved to conferences typically considered "major" in basketball—three in the Big 12, one in the SEC, and one in The American. Another member that left during the SWC's last decade also moved to the SEC. The Metro Conference, which operated from 1975 to 1995, is not listed because it was considered a major basketball conference throughout its history. The, Louisville, which was a member for the league's entire existence, won both of its NCAA-recognized titles (1980, 1986) while in the Metro. It was one of the two leagues that merged to form the Conference USA. The other league involved in the merger, the Great Midwest Conference, was arguably a major conference; it was formed in 1990, with play starting in 1991, when several of the Metro's strongest basketball programs left that league.

Coaching records

Most national championships

* 10 national championships
:John Wooden (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975)
* 5 national championships
:Mike Krzyzewski (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)
* 4 national championships
:Adolph Rupp (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958)
* 3 national championships
:Jim Calhoun (1999, 2004, 2011)
:Bob Knight (1976, 1981, 1987)
: Roy Williams (2005, 2009, 2017)
* 2 national championships
:Denny Crum (1980, 1986)
:Billy Donovan (2006, 2007)
:Dan Hurley (2023, 2024)
:Henry Iba (1945, 1946)
:Ed Jucker (1961, 1962)
:Branch McCracken (1940, 1953)
:Bill Self (2008, 2022)
:Dean Smith (1982, 1993)
:Phil Woolpert (1955, 1956)
: Jay Wright (2016, 2018)
* 1 national championship

:Phog Allen (2019)
:Jim Boeheim (2003)
: Larry Brown (1988)
:John Calipari (2012)
:Everett Dean (1942)
:Scott Drew (2021)
: Steve Fisher (1989)
: Bud Foster (1941)
:Todd Golden (2025)
: Joe B. Hall (1978)
:Jim Harrick (1995)
:Don Haskins (1966)
:Jud Heathcote (1979)
:Howard Hobson (1939)
:Nat Holman (1950)
:George Ireland (1963)
:Tom Izzo (2000)
:Doggie Julian (1947)
:Ken Loeffler (1954)
:Rollie Massimino (1985)
:Al McGuire (1977)
:Frank McGuire (1957)
:Pete Newell (1959)
:Kevin Ollie (2014)
:Lute Olson (1997)
:Vadal Peterson (1944)
:Rick Pitino (1996)
:Nolan Richardson (1994)
: Everett Shelton (1943)
:Norm Sloan (1974)
:Tubby Smith (1998)
:Jerry Tarkanian (1990)
: Fred Taylor (1960)
: John Thompson (1984)
:Jim Valvano (1983)
:Gary Williams (2002)

National championships among active coaches

* 2 Dan Hurley (2023, 2024)
* 2 Bill Self (2008, 2022)
* 1 John Calipari (2012)
* 1 Scott Drew (2021)
* 1 Todd Golden (2025)
* 1 Tom Izzo (2000)
* 1 Rick Pitino (1996)

Schools winning a national championship under multiple coaches

* Five coaches
:Kentucky: Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and John Calipari
* Three coaches
:Kansas: Phog Allen

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