2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2016–17 season. The 79th edition of the tournament began on March 14, 2017, and concluded with the championship game on April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The championship game was the first to be contested in the Western United States since the 1995 tournament when Seattle was the host of the Final Four.

2017 NCAA Division I
men's basketball tournament
Season2016–17
Teams68
Finals siteUniversity of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
ChampionsNorth Carolina Tar Heels (6th title, 11th title game,
20th Final Four)
Runner-upGonzaga Bulldogs (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachRoy Williams (3rd title)
MOPJoel Berry II (North Carolina)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«20162018»

In the Final Four, North Carolina beat Oregon (making their first Final Four appearance since the inaugural tournament in 1939)[1] while Gonzaga defeated South Carolina (both making their first ever Final Four appearance).[2] This was the first NCAA tournament since 1979 to see two first-time Final Four participants. North Carolina then defeated Gonzaga 71–65 to win their 6th national championship, and 3rd under Roy Williams.[3]

After being the only longstanding Power Five team to never made the tournament, Northwestern from the Big Ten finally made the tournament for the first time in program history.[4] North Dakota (Big Sky), UC Davis (Big West), Northern Kentucky (Horizon League), and Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley) also all made their tournament debuts.

Tournament procedures

A total of 68 teams entered the 2017 tournament, with all 32 conference tournament winners receiving an automatic bid. The Ivy League, which previously granted its automatic tournament bid to its regular season champion, hosted a postseason tournament to determine a conference champion for the first time. In previous years, had the Ivy League had two schools tied for first in the standings, a one-game playoff (or series as was the case in the 2002 season) determined the automatic bid. On March 10, 2016, the Ivy League's council of presidents approved a four-team tournament where the top four teams in the regular season would play on March 11 and 12 at Philadelphia's Palestra.[5]

The remaining 36 teams received "at-large" bids which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. On January 24, 2016, the NCAA announced that the Selection Committee would, for the first time, unveil in-season rankings of the top four teams in each division on February 11, 2017.[6]

Eight teams—the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams—played in the First Four (the successor to what had been known as "play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the main draw of the tournament.

The Selection Committee also seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.[7]

The committee's selections resulted in two historic milestones. The Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference made their first-ever NCAA Tournament in school history, officially becoming the last "power conference" school to make the tournament. (This fact is ironic considering that Northwestern hosted the first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1939). The Wildcats' First round opponent, the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference, also made history: with a record of 19–15, they set the mark for the most ever losses for an at-large team in tournament history.

Four conference champions also made their first NCAA appearances: North Dakota (Big Sky Conference), UC Davis (Big West Conference), Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley Conference), and first-year Division I school Northern Kentucky (Horizon League).

Schedule and venues

Dayton
Buffalo
Milwaukee
Orlando
Salt Lake City
Greenville
Indianapolis
Tulsa
Sacramento
2017 First Four (orange) and First and Second rounds (green)
Note: Greensboro, North Carolina was originally awarded First and Second round games, but the games were relocated to Greenville, South Carolina due to NCAA objections over HB2.
Kansas City
San Jose
Memphis
New York City
Glendale
2017 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red)

The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2017 tournament[8]

First Four

First and Second Rounds

Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)

Qualification and selection

Eight teams, out of 351 in Division I, were ineligible to participate in the 2017 tournament due to failing to meet APR requirements, self-imposed postseason bans, or reclassification from a lower division.[n 1] Hawaii had previously been banned from entering the tournament as a penalty for infractions, but the NCAA later reversed its ban.[13][14]

Automatic qualifiers

The following 32 teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2017 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid.[15]

ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bid
America EastVermont6th2012
AmericanSMU12th2015
Atlantic 10Rhode Island9th1999
ACCDuke41st2016
ASUNFlorida Gulf Coast3rd2016
Big 12Iowa State19th2016
Big EastVillanova37th2016
Big SkyNorth Dakota1stNever
Big SouthWinthrop10th2010
Big TenMichigan27th2016
Big WestUC Davis1stNever
CAAUNC Wilmington6th2016
C-USAMiddle Tennessee9th2016
HorizonNorthern Kentucky1stNever [a 1]
Ivy League[a 2]Princeton25th2011
MAACIona12th2016
MACKent State6th2008
MEACNorth Carolina Central2nd2014
Missouri ValleyWichita State14th2016
Mountain WestNevada7th2007
NECMount St. Mary's5th2014
Ohio ValleyJacksonville State1stNever
Pac-12Arizona34th2016
PatriotBucknell7th2013
SECKentucky57th2016
SouthernEast Tennessee State10th2010
SouthlandNew Orleans5th1996
SWACTexas Southern7th2015
Summit LeagueSouth Dakota State4th2016
Sun BeltTroy2nd2003
WCCGonzaga20th2016
WACNew Mexico State23rd2015
Notes

Tournament seeds

East Regional – Madison Square Garden, New York City
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1VillanovaBig East31–3Auto1
2DukeACC27–8Auto7
3BaylorBig 1225–7At-Large12
4FloridaSEC24–8At-Large14
5VirginiaACC22–10At-Large17
6SMUAmerican30–4Auto21
7South CarolinaSEC22–10At-Large26
8WisconsinBig Ten25–9At-Large29
9Virginia TechACC22–10At-Large36
10MarquetteBig East19–12At-Large39
11*ProvidenceBig East20–12At-Large42
USCPac-1224–9At-Large45
12UNC WilmingtonCAA29–5Auto49
13East Tennessee StateSouthern27–7Auto52
14New Mexico StateWAC28–5Auto55
15TroySun Belt22–14Auto60
16*Mount St. Mary'sNEC19–15Auto68
New OrleansSouthland20–11Auto67
West Regional – SAP Center, San Jose, California
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1GonzagaWCC32–1Auto4
2ArizonaPac-1230–4Auto6
3Florida StateACC25–8At-Large10
4West VirginiaBig 1226–8At-Large15
5Notre DameACC25–9At-Large19
6MarylandBig Ten24–8At-Large23
7Saint Mary'sWCC28–4At-Large25
8NorthwesternBig Ten23–11At-Large32
9VanderbiltSEC19–15At-Large33
10VCUAtlantic 1026–8At-Large40
11XavierBig East21–13At-Large41
12PrincetonIvy League23–6Auto50
13BucknellPatriot26–8Auto51
14Florida Gulf CoastAtlantic Sun26–7Auto56
15North DakotaBig Sky22–9Auto62
16South Dakota StateSummit League18–16Auto64
Midwest Regional – Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1KansasBig 1228–4At-Large2
2LouisvilleACC24–8At-Large8
3OregonPac-1229–5At-Large9
4PurdueBig Ten25–7At-Large16
5Iowa StateBig 1223–10Auto20
6CreightonBig East25–9At-Large24
7MichiganBig Ten24–11Auto27
8Miami (FL)ACC21–11At-Large30
9Michigan StateBig Ten19–14At-Large35
10Oklahoma StateBig 1220–12At-Large37
11Rhode IslandAtlantic 1024–9Auto44
12NevadaMountain West28–6Auto47
13VermontAmerica East29–5Auto53
14IonaMAAC22–12Auto58
15Jacksonville StateOhio Valley20–14Auto61
16*North Carolina CentralMEAC25–8Auto66
UC DavisBig West22–12Auto65
South Regional – FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1North CarolinaACC27–7At-Large3
2KentuckySEC29–5Auto5
3UCLAPac-1229–4At-Large11
4ButlerBig East23–8At-Large13
5MinnesotaBig Ten24–9At-Large18
6CincinnatiAmerican29–5At-Large22
7DaytonAtlantic 1024–7At-Large28
8ArkansasSEC25–9At-Large31
9Seton HallBig East21–11At-Large34
10Wichita StateMissouri Valley30–4Auto38
11*Kansas StateBig 1220–13At-Large46
Wake ForestACC19–13At-Large43
12Middle TennesseeConference USA30–4Auto48
13WinthropBig South26–6Auto54
14Kent StateMAC22–13Auto57
15Northern KentuckyHorizon24–10Auto59
16Texas SouthernSWAC23–11Auto63

*See First Four

Bracket

All times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.

March 14 – East Region
   
16Mount St. Mary's67
16New Orleans66
March 14 – South Region
   
11Kansas State95
11Wake Forest88
March 15 – Midwest Region
   
16North Carolina Central63
16UC Davis67
March 15 – East Region
   
11Providence71
11USC75

Game summaries

truTV
March 14
6:40 PM
#16 Mount Saint Mary's 67, #16 New Orleans 66
Scoring by half: 32–29, 35–37
Pts: J. Robinson (23)
Rebs: M. Wilson (11)
Asts: M. Wilson, E. Mitrou-Long (4)
Pts: N. Frye (18)
Rebs: T. Broyles, E. Thomas (8)
Asts: T. Broyles (3)
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, OH
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Jeb Hartness, Brent Hampton, Steve McJunkins
truTV
March 14
9:10 PM
#11 Kansas State 95, #11 Wake Forest 88
Scoring by half: 40–36, 55–52
Pts: W. Iwundu (24)
Rebs: W. Iwundu, D. Johnson (6)
Asts: W. Iwundu (7)
Pts: J. Collins (26)
Rebs: J. Collins (9)
Asts: B. Crawford (10)
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, OH
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Nathan Ferrell, Jeff Anderson, Bill McCarthy
truTV
March 15
6:40 PM
#16 North Carolina Central 63, #16 UC Davis 67
Scoring by half: 34–31, 29–36
Pts: D. Graf (15)
Rebs: K. Benton (12)
Asts: D. Graf (5)
Pts: C. Moneke (18)
Rebs: C. Moneke (12)
Asts: L. White (4)
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, OH
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Lamar Simpson, Tony Chiazza, Todd Austin
truTV
March 15
9:10 PM
#11 Providence 71, #11 USC 75
Scoring by half: 44–29, 27–46
Pts: E. Holt (18)
Rebs: E. Holt (11)
Asts: K. Cartwright (7)
Pts: B. Boatwright (24)
Rebs: J. McLaughlin (10)
Asts: J. McLaughlin, D. Melton (4)
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, OH
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Bo Boroski, Bill Covington, Nate Harris

East Regional – New York City, New York

First round
Round of 64
March 16–17
Second Round
Round of 32
March 18–19
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 24
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 26
            
1Villanova76
16Mount St. Mary's56
1Villanova62
Buffalo – Thu/Sat
8Wisconsin65
8Wisconsin84
9Virginia Tech74
8Wisconsin83
4Florida84OT
5Virginia76
12UNC Wilmington71
5Virginia39
Orlando – Thu/Sat
4Florida65
4Florida80
13East Tennessee State65
4Florida70
7South Carolina77
6SMU65
11USC66
11USC78
Tulsa – Fri/Sun
3Baylor82
3Baylor91
14New Mexico State73
3Baylor50
7South Carolina70
7South Carolina93
10Marquette73
7South Carolina88
Greenville – Fri/Sun
2Duke81
2Duke87
15Troy65

East Regional First round

CBS
March 16
7:10 PM
#1 Villanova 76, #16 Mount Saint Mary's 56
Scoring by half: 30–29, 46–27
Pts: D. DiVincenzo (21)
Rebs: D. DiVincenzo (13)
Asts: K. Jenkins, M. Bridges, J. Brunson (3)
Pts: M. Wilson (22)
Rebs: M. Wilson (7)
Asts: E. Mitrou-Long (4)
KeyBank Center
Buffalo, NY
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Dwayne Gladden, Mike Scyphers, Tony Padilla
CBS
March 16
9:43 PM
#8 Wisconsin 84, #9 Virginia Tech 74
Scoring by half: 34–30, 50–44
Pts: B. Koenig (28)
Rebs: N. Hayes (10)
Asts: Z. Showalter (4)
Pts: Z. LeDay (23)
Rebs: T. Outlaw (7)
Asts: J. Robinson, S. Allen (6)
KeyBank Center
Buffalo, NY
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Gregory Nixon, Gary Prager, Jeff Anderson
truTV
March 16
12:40 PM
#5 Virginia 76, #12 UNC Wilmington 71
Scoring by half: 30–29, 46–42
Pts: L. Perrantes (24)
Rebs: D. Hall (7)
Asts: L. Perrantes, D. Hall (3)
Pts: C. Flemmings (18)
Rebs: D. Cacok (15)
Asts: J. Talley (5)
Amway Center
Orlando, FL
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Bill Ek, Pat Adams, Karl Hess
truTV
March 16
3:26 PM
#4 Florida 80, #13 East Tennessee State 65
Scoring by half: 33–32, 47–33
Pts: D. Robinson (24)
Rebs: D. Robinson, K. Hayes (7)
Asts: K. Hill (6)
Pts: T. Cromer (19)
Rebs: T. Glass (9)
Asts: J. Long (6)
Amway Center
Orlando, FL
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Larry Scirotto, Rodrick Dixon, Mike Eades

East Regional Final

CBS
Sunday, March 26
2:20 pm EDT
#7 South Carolina Gamecocks 77, #4 Florida Gators 70
Scoring by half: 33–40, 44–30
Pts: S. Thornwell – 26
Rebs: C. Silva – 9
Asts: D. Notice – 3
Pts: J. Leon – 18
Rebs: K. Hayes – 8
Asts: K. Hill – 5
Madison Square Garden – New York City
Attendance: 20,047
Referees: Ron Groover, Jeffrey Anderson, Mike Eades

East Regional all tournament team

West Regional – San Jose, California

First round
Round of 64
March 16
Second Round
Round of 32
March 18
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 23
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 25
            
1Gonzaga66
16South Dakota State46
1Gonzaga79
Salt Lake City – Thu/Sat
8Northwestern73
8Northwestern68
9Vanderbilt66
1Gonzaga61
4West Virginia58
5Notre Dame60
12Princeton58
5Notre Dame71
Buffalo – Thu/Sat
4West Virginia83
4West Virginia86
13Bucknell80
1Gonzaga83
11Xavier59
6Maryland65
11Xavier76
11Xavier91
Orlando – Thu/Sat
3Florida State66
3Florida State86
14Florida Gulf Coast80
11Xavier73
2Arizona71
7Saint Mary's85
10VCU77
7Saint Mary's60
Salt Lake City – Thu/Sat
2Arizona69
2Arizona100
15North Dakota82

West Regional First round

TBS
March 16
2:00 PM
#1 Gonzaga 66, #16 South Dakota State 46
Scoring by half: 26–22, 40–24
Pts: J. Mathews (16)
Rebs: J. Williams (14)
Asts: N. Williams-Goss (4)
Pts: M. Daum (17)
Rebs: T. King (9)
Asts: M. Orris, C. Howell (3)
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: N/A
Referees: Jeff Clark, Larry Spaulding, Eric Curry

West Regional Final

TBS
Saturday, March 25
3:09 pm PDT
#11 Xavier Musketeers 59, #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 83
Scoring by half: 39–49, 20–34
Pts: J. Macura – 18
Rebs: K. Gates, T. Bluiett – 7
Asts: J. Macura, Q. Goodin – 2
Pts: N. Williams-Goss – 23
Rebs: N. Williams-Goss – 8
Asts: N. Williams-Goss – 4
SAP Center – San Jose, California
Attendance: 17,011
Referees: James Breeding, Kipp Kissinger, Michael Stephens

West Regional all tournament team

Midwest Regional – Kansas City, Missouri

First round
Round of 64
March 16–17
Second Round
Round of 32
March 18–19
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 23
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 25
            
1Kansas100
16UC Davis62
1Kansas90
Tulsa – Fri/Sun
9Michigan State70
8Miami (FL)58
9Michigan State78
1Kansas98
4Purdue66
5Iowa State84
12Nevada73
5Iowa State76
Milwaukee – Thu/Sat
4Purdue80
4Purdue80
13Vermont70
1Kansas60
3Oregon74
6Creighton72
11Rhode Island84
11Rhode Island72
Sacramento – Fri/Sun
3Oregon75
3Oregon93
14Iona77
3Oregon69
7Michigan68
7Michigan92
10Oklahoma State91
7Michigan73
Indianapolis – Fri/Sun
2Louisville69
2Louisville78
15Jacksonville State63

Midwest Regional First round

TNT
March 17
6:50 PM
#1 Kansas 100, #16 UC Davis 62
Scoring by half: 50–28, 50–34
Pts: F. Mason III (22)
Rebs: L. Lucas (11)
Asts: F. Mason III (8)
Pts: C. Moneke (20)
Rebs: C. Moneke (9)
Asts: D. Graham, B. Lemar, A. Hennings (2)
Bank of Oklahoma Center
Tulsa, OK
Attendance: N/A
Referees: DJ Carstensen, Deldre Carr, Ray Acosta

Midwest Regional Final

TBS
Saturday, March 25
7:49 pm CDT
#3 Oregon Ducks 74, #1 Kansas Jayhawks 60
Scoring by half: 44–33, 30–27
Pts: T. Dorsey – 27
Rebs: J. Bell – 13
Asts: J. Bell, D. Brooks – 4
Pts: F. Mason III – 21
Rebs: J. Jackson – 12
Asts: J. Jackson – 5
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Attendance: 18,643
Referees: Randy McCall, Terry Oglesby, Ted Valentine

Midwest Regional all tournament team

South Regional – Memphis, Tennessee

First round
Round of 64
March 16–17
Second Round
Round of 32
March 18–19
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 24
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 26
            
1North Carolina103
16Texas Southern64
1North Carolina72
Greenville – Fri/Sun
8Arkansas65
8Arkansas77
9Seton Hall71
1North Carolina92
4Butler80
5Minnesota72
12Middle Tennessee81
12Middle Tennessee65
Milwaukee – Thu/Sat
4Butler74
4Butler76
13Winthrop64
1North Carolina75
2Kentucky73
6Cincinnati75
11Kansas State61
6Cincinnati67
Sacramento – Fri/Sun
3UCLA79
3UCLA97
14Kent State80
3UCLA75
2Kentucky86
7Dayton58
10Wichita State64
10Wichita State62
Indianapolis – Fri/Sun
2Kentucky65
2Kentucky79
15Northern Kentucky70

South Regional Final

CBS
Sunday, March 26
4:05 pm CDT
#2 Kentucky Wildcats 73, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 75
Scoring by half: 33–38, 40–37
Pts: E. Adebayo, D. Fox – 13
Rebs: E. Adebayo – 7
Asts: I. Briscoe – 8
Pts: J. Jackson – 19
Rebs: K. Meeks – 17
Asts: J. Jackson – 4
FedExForum – Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 16,412
Referees: John Higgins, Keith Kimble, Mike Reed

South Regional all tournament team

Final Four

University of Phoenix Stadium, the site of the 2017 Final Four

During the Final Four round, regardless of the seeds of the participating teams, the champion of the top overall top seed's region (Villanova's East Region) plays against the champion of the fourth-ranked top seed's region (Gonzaga's West Region), and the champion of the second overall top seed's region (Kansas's Midwest Region) plays against the champion of the third-ranked top seed's region (North Carolina's South Region).

University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona

National semifinals
April 1
National championship game
April 3
      
E7South Carolina73
W1Gonzaga77
W1Gonzaga65
S1North Carolina71
MW3Oregon76
S1North Carolina77

Final Four

CBS
Saturday, April 1
3:09 pm MST
#7 South Carolina Gamecocks 73, #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 77
Scoring by half: 36–45, 37–32
Pts: P. Dozier – 17
Rebs: C. Silva – 13
Asts: D. Notice – 3
Pts: N. Williams-Goss – 23
Rebs: Z. Collins – 13
Asts: N. Williams-Goss – 6
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 77,612
Referees: John Higgins, Doug Sirmons, Jeffrey Anderson
CBS
Saturday, April 1
5:49 pm MST
#3 Oregon Ducks 76, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 77
Scoring by half: 36–39, 40–38
Pts: T. Dorsey – 21
Rebs: J. Bell – 16
Asts: D. Ennis – 3
Pts: K. Meeks – 25
Rebs: K. Meeks – 14
Asts: T. Pinson – 5
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 77,612
Referees: Ron Groover, Tony Padilla, Ted Valentine

National Championship

CBS
Monday, April 3
6:20 pm MST
#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 65, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 71
Scoring by half: 35–32, 30–39
Pts: N. Williams-Goss – 15
Rebs: N. Williams-Goss – 9
Asts: N. Williams-Goss – 6
Pts: J. Berry II – 22
Rebs: K. Meeks – 10
Asts: J. Berry II – 6
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 76,168
Referees: Verne Harris, Michael Stephens, Mike Eades

Final Four all-tournament team

Game summaries and tournament notes

Upsets

Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2017 tournament saw a total of 9 upsets; 4 of them were in the first round, 4 of them were in the second round, and one of them in the Sweet Sixteen.

RoundEastWestMidwestSouth
First roundNo. 11 USC defeated No. 6 SMU, 66–65No. 11 Xavier defeated No. 6 Maryland, 76–65No. 11 Rhode Island defeated No. 6 Creighton, 84–72No. 12 Middle Tennessee defeated No. 5 Minnesota, 81–72
Second Round
No. 11 Xavier defeated No. 3 Florida State, 91–66No. 7 Michigan defeated No. 2 Louisville, 73–69None
Sweet 16NoneNo. 11 Xavier defeated No. 2 Arizona, 73–71NoneNone
Elite 8NoneNoneNoneNone

Record by conference

ConferenceBidsRecordWin %R64R32S16E8F4CGNC
ACC911–8.5798611111
WCC26–2.750221111
Pac-12410–4.71444311
SEC511–5.68854331
Big 1269–6.6006431
Big East76–7.4626321
Big Ten78–7.533753
Atlantic 1031–3.25031
American21–2.33321
C-USA11–1.50011
Missouri Valley11–1.50011
Big West11–1.5001
NEC11–1.5001
  • The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (first round), round of 32 (second round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively.
  • The "Record" column includes wins in the First Four for the Big 12, Big West, NEC, and Pac-12 conferences and losses in the First Four for the ACC and Big East conferences.
  • The MEAC and Southland each had one representative, both eliminated in the First Four with a record of 0–1.
  • The America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Horizon, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC, and WAC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the first round with a record of 0–1.

Media coverage

Television

CBS Sports and Turner Sports held joint U.S. television broadcast rights to the Tournament under the NCAA March Madness brand. As part of a cycle beginning in 2016, CBS held rights to the Final Four and championship game.[21][22][23][24] As CBS did not want its audience to be diffused across multiple outlets, there were no localized "Team Stream" telecasts of the Final Four or championship games on Turner channels as in previous years.[25]

Following criticism of the two-hour format of the 2016 edition, the Selection Sunday broadcast was shortened to 90 minutes. CBS Sports executive Harold Bryant promised that the unveiling of the bracket would be conducted in an "efficient" manner, and leave more time to discuss and preview the tournament.[26]

  • First Four – TruTV
  • First and Second rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV
  • Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) – CBS and TBS
  • National semifinals (Final Four) and championship – CBS

Studio hosts

  • Greg Gumbel (New York City and Glendale) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Ernie Johnson Jr. (New York City, Atlanta, and Glendale) – first round, second round, regional semi-finals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Casey Stern (Atlanta) – First Four, first round and Second Round
  • Adam Zucker (Glendale) – Final Four

Studio analysts

  • Charles Barkley (New York City and Glendale) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Seth Davis (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first round, second round, regional semi-finals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Brendan Haywood (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first round, second round, regional semi-finals, and Final Four
  • Clark Kellogg (New York City and Glendale) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Jimmy Patsos (Atlanta) – second round
  • Bruce Pearl (Atlanta) – first round
  • Jon Rothstein (Glendale) - Final Four
  • Kenny Smith (New York City and Glendale) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Steve Smith (Glendale) – Final Four
  • Wally Szczerbiak (New York City, Atlanta, and Glendale) – First Four, second round, and Final Four
  • Buzz Williams (Atlanta) – regional semi-finals
  • Jay Wright (Glendale) – Final Four

Commentary teams

Radio

Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the entire tournament. For the first time in the history of the tournament, broadcasts of the Final Four and championship game were available in Spanish.[27]

Internet

Video

Live video of games was available for streaming through the following means:[24]

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app, no CBS games on digital media players; access to games on Turner channels requires TV Everywhere authentication through provider)
  • CBS All Access (only CBS games, service subscription required)
  • CBS Sports website and app (only CBS games)
  • Bleacher Report website and Team Stream app (only Turner games, access requires subscription)
  • Watch TBS website and app (only TBS games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch TNT website and app (only TNT games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch truTV website and app (only truTV games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Websites and apps of cable, satellite, and OTT providers of CBS & Turner (access requires subscription)

Audio

Live audio of games was available for streaming through the following means:

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app)
  • Westwood One Sports website
  • TuneIn (website and app)
  • Websites and apps of Westwood One Sports affiliates

See also

Notes

References

External links