2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2023–24 season. The 85th annual edition of the tournament began on March 19, 2024 and concluded with the UConn Huskies successfully defending their title to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2007, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75–60 in the championship game on April 8, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.[1]

2024 NCAA Division I
men's basketball tournament
Season2023–24
Teams68
Finals siteState Farm Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
ChampionsUConn Huskies (6th title, 6th title game,
7th Final Four)
Runner-upPurdue Boilermakers (2nd title game,
3rd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachDan Hurley (2nd title)
MOPTristen Newton (UConn Huskies)
Attendance713,877
Top scorerZach Edey (Purdue Boilermakers)
(177 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«20232025»

ASUN champion Stetson and SWAC champion Grambling State made their NCAA tournament debuts. Additionally, Duquesne made its first appearance since 1977, Samford made its first appearance since 2000, McNeese made its first appearance since 2002, and Wagner made its second-ever appearance, its first since 2003.

The first round of the tournament saw the Southeastern Conference (SEC) struggle, with only three out of the initial eight teams advancing to the next round.[2][3] Three SEC teams suffered first-round upsets. On the other hand, the Pac-12 Conference saw all four of their teams advance to the second round, though Arizona was the only team in the conference to make the Sweet Sixteen.[4]

This was the first NCAA tournament since 2019 to not see a 15-seed defeat a 2-seed. All the 1 and 2-seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, marking only the fifth time it has happened and the first since 2019.[5] Also, with No. 11 seeded NC State advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, this marked the 16th consecutive tournament where a double-digit seed made the regional semifinals. The Wolfpack eventually became the sixth 11-seed to reach the Final Four.

The Final Four consisted of UConn (second consecutive appearance), Alabama (their first Final Four appearance in program history), NC State (first appearance since 1983), and Purdue (first appearance since 1980).

With No. 1 overall seed UConn winning the championship, this was the first time that the top overall seed won the tournament since Kentucky in 2012.[A]

Tournament procedure

A total of 68 teams entered the 2024 tournament. A total of 32 automatic bids are awarded to each program that won a conference tournament. The remaining 36 bids are issued "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Selection Committee also seeds the entire field from 1 to 68.

Eight teams (the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four. The winners of those games advanced to the main tournament bracket.

2024 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2024 tournament:[1]

Dayton
Brooklyn
Charlotte
Indianapolis
Omaha
Pittsburgh
Salt Lake City
Spokane
Memphis
2024 First Four (orange) and first and second rounds (green)
Boston
Dallas
Detroit
Los Angeles
Glendale
2024 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red)

First Four

First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)

Regional Semi-Finals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four)

Glendale hosted the Final Four for the second time, having previously hosted in 2017.

Qualification and selection of teams

The 68 teams came from 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Automatic qualifiers

Teams who won their conference championships automatically qualify.

Automatic qualifiers in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bid
America EastVermont10th2023
AmericanUAB17th2022
Atlantic 10Duquesne6th1977
ACCNC State29th2023
ASUNStetson1stNever
Big 12Iowa State23rd2023
Big EastUConn36th2023
Big SkyMontana State6th2023
Big SouthLongwood2nd2022
Big TenIllinois34th2023
Big WestLong Beach State7th2012
CAACharleston7th2023
CUSAWestern Kentucky26th2013
HorizonOakland4th2011
Ivy LeagueYale7th2022
MAACSaint Peter's5th2022
MACAkron6th2022
MEACHoward4th2023
Missouri ValleyDrake7th2023
Mountain WestNew Mexico16th2014
NECWagner2nd2003
Ohio ValleyMorehead State9th2021
Pac-12Oregon18th2021
PatriotColgate7th2023
SECAuburn13th2023
SouthernSamford3rd2000
SouthlandMcNeese3rd2002
SWACGrambling State1stNever
Summit LeagueSouth Dakota State7th2022
Sun BeltJames Madison6th2013
WCCSaint Mary's13th2023
WACGrand Canyon3rd2023

The tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process and were published by the selection committee after the brackets were released on March 17.

East Regional – TD Garden, Boston, MA
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid
1UConnBig East31–31Automatic2023
2Iowa StateBig 1227–78Automatic2023
3IllinoisBig Ten26–812Automatic2023
4AuburnSEC27–715Automatic2023
5San Diego StateMountain West24–1018At Large2023
6BYUBig 1223–1021At Large2021
7Washington StatePac-1224–926At Large2008
8Florida AtlanticAmerican25–831At Large2023
9NorthwesternBig Ten21–1136At Large2023
10DrakeMissouri Valley28–640Automatic2023
11DuquesneAtlantic 1024–1146Automatic1977
12UABAmerican23–1150Automatic2022
13YaleIvy22–952Automatic2022
14Morehead StateOhio Valley26–857Automatic2021
15South Dakota StateSummit22–1261Automatic2022
16StetsonASUN22–1264AutomaticNever
West Regional – Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid
1North CarolinaACC27–74At Large2022
2ArizonaPac-1225–86At Large2023
3BaylorBig 1223–109At Large2023
4AlabamaSEC21–1116At Large2023
5Saint Mary'sWCC26–720Automatic2023
6ClemsonACC21–1122At Large2021
7DaytonAtlantic 1026–728At Large2017
8Mississippi StateSEC21–1332At Large2023
9Michigan StateBig Ten19–1433At Large2023
10NevadaMountain West26–737At Large2023
11New MexicoMountain West26–944Automatic2014
12Grand CanyonWAC29–447Automatic2023
13CharlestonCAA27–754Automatic2023
14ColgatePatriot25–958Automatic2023
15Long Beach StateBig West21–1459Automatic2012
16*HowardMEAC18–1667Automatic2023
WagnerNEC16–1568Automatic2003
South Regional – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid
1HoustonBig 1230–42At Large2023
2MarquetteBig East25–97At Large2023
3KentuckySEC23–911At Large2023
4DukeACC24–813At Large2023
5WisconsinBig Ten22–1319At Large2022
6Texas TechBig 1223–1023At Large2022
7FloridaSEC24–1125At Large2021
8NebraskaBig Ten23–1029At Large2014
9Texas A&MSEC20–1434At Large2023
10*Boise StateMountain West22–1038At Large2023
ColoradoPac-1224–1039At Large2021
11NC StateACC22–1445Automatic2023
12James MadisonSun Belt31–348Automatic2013
13VermontAmerica East28–651Automatic2023
14OaklandHorizon23–1155Automatic2011
15Western KentuckyC-USA22–1160Automatic2013
16LongwoodBig South21–1363Automatic2022
Midwest Regional – Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid
1PurdueBig Ten29–43At Large2023
2TennesseeSEC24–85At Large2023
3CreightonBig East23–910At Large2023
4KansasBig 1222–1014At Large2023
5GonzagaWest Coast25–717At Large2023
6South CarolinaSEC26–724At Large2017
7TexasBig 1220–1227At Large2023
8Utah StateMountain West27–630At Large2023
9TCUBig 1221–1235At Large2023
10*VirginiaACC23–1041At Large2023
Colorado StateMountain West24–1042At Large2022
11OregonPac-1223–1143Automatic2021
12McNeeseSouthland30–349Automatic2002
13SamfordSouthern29–553Automatic2000
14AkronMAC24–1056Automatic2022
15Saint Peter'sMAAC19–1362Automatic2022
16*Montana StateBig Sky17–1765Automatic2023
Grambling StateSWAC20–1466AutomaticNever

*See First Four
Source:[6]


Tournament bracket

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

First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The First Four games involve eight teams: the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams.

March 19 – West Regional
   
16Howard68
16Wagner71
March 19 – Midwest Regional
   
10Virginia42
10Colorado State67
March 20 – Midwest Regional
   
16Montana State81
16Grambling State88OT
March 20 – South Regional
   
10Boise State53
10Colorado60

East regional – Boston, Massachusetts

First round
Round of 64
March 21–22
Second round
Round of 32
March 23–24
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 28
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 30
            
1UConn91
16Stetson52
1UConn75
Brooklyn – Fri/Sun
9Northwestern58
8Florida Atlantic65
9Northwestern77OT
1UConn82
5San Diego State52
5San Diego State69
12UAB65
5San Diego State85
Spokane – Fri/Sun
13Yale57
4Auburn76
13Yale78
1UConn77
3Illinois52
6BYU67
11Duquesne71
11Duquesne63
Omaha – Thu/Sat
3Illinois89
3Illinois85
14Morehead State69
3Illinois72
2Iowa State69
7Washington State66
10Drake61
7Washington State56
Omaha – Thu/Sat
2Iowa State67
2Iowa State82
15South Dakota State65

East regional final

March 30
6:09 p.m. EDT
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini 52, No. 1 UConn Huskies 77
Scoring by half: 23−28, 29−49
Pts: Domask (17)
Rebs: Goode (6)
Asts: Shannon Jr. (3)
Pts: Clingan (22)
Rebs: Clingan (10)
Asts: Tied (5)
TD GardenBoston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 19,181
Referees: Doug Shows, Terry Oglesby, Byron Jarrett

East regional all-tournament team

West regional – Los Angeles, California

First round
Round of 64
March 21–22
Second round
Round of 32
March 23–24
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 28
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 30
            
1North Carolina90
16Wagner62
1North Carolina85
Charlotte – Thu/Sat
9Michigan State69
8Mississippi State51
9Michigan State69
1North Carolina87
4Alabama89
5Saint Mary's66
12Grand Canyon75
12Grand Canyon61
Spokane – Fri/Sun
4Alabama72
4Alabama109
13Charleston96
4Alabama89
6Clemson82
6Clemson77
11New Mexico56
6Clemson72
Memphis – Fri/Sun
3Baylor64
3Baylor92
14Colgate67
6Clemson77
2Arizona72
7Dayton63
10Nevada60
7Dayton68
Salt Lake City – Thu/Sat
2Arizona78
2Arizona85
15Long Beach State65

West regional final

March 30
8:49 p.m. EDT
No. 6 Clemson Tigers 82, No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide 89
Scoring by half: 32–35, 50–54
Pts: Sears (23)
Rebs: Pringle (11)
Asts: Estrada (7)
Pts: Girard (19)
Rebs: Schieffelin (11)
Asts: Hunter (6)
Crypto.com ArenaLos Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,227
Referees: James Breeding, Keith Kimble, Brian Dorsey

West regional all-tournament team

South regional – Dallas, Texas

First round
Round of 64
March 21–22
Second round
Round of 32
March 23–24
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 29
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 31
            
1Houston86
16Longwood46
1Houston100OT
Memphis – Fri/Sun
9Texas A&M95
8Nebraska83
9Texas A&M98
1Houston51
4Duke54
5Wisconsin61
12James Madison72
12James Madison55
Brooklyn – Fri/Sun
4Duke93
4Duke64
13Vermont47
4Duke64
11NC State76
6Texas Tech67
11NC State80
11NC State79OT
Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat
14Oakland73
3Kentucky76
14Oakland80
11NC State67
2Marquette58
7Florida100
10Colorado102
10Colorado77
Indianapolis – Fri/Sun
2Marquette81
2Marquette87
15Western Kentucky69

South regional final

Related article: Tobacco Road (rivalry)
March 31
5:05 p.m. EDT
No. 11 NC State Wolfpack 76, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils 64
Scoring by half: 21−27, 55−37
Pts: Burns (29)
Rebs: O'Connell (11)
Asts: O'Connell (6)
Pts: McCain (32)
Rebs: Filipowski (9)
Asts: Proctor (4)
American Airlines CenterDallas, Texas
Attendance: 16,969
Referees: Michael Irving, Brian O'Connell, Doug Sirmons

South regional all-tournament team

Midwest regional – Detroit, Michigan

First round
Round of 64
March 21–22
Second round
Round of 32
March 23–24
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 29
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 31
            
1Purdue78
16Grambling State50
1Purdue106
Indianapolis – Fri/Sun
8Utah State67
8Utah State88
9TCU72
1Purdue80
5Gonzaga68
5Gonzaga86
12McNeese65
5Gonzaga89
Salt Lake City – Thu/Sat
4Kansas68
4Kansas93
13Samford89
1Purdue72
2Tennessee66
6South Carolina73
11Oregon87
11Oregon73
Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat
3Creighton862OT
3Creighton77
14Akron60
3Creighton75
2Tennessee82
7Texas56
10Colorado State44
7Texas58
Charlotte – Thu/Sat
2Tennessee62
2Tennessee83
15Saint Peter's49

Midwest regional final

March 31
2:20 p.m. EDT
No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers 66, No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers 72
Scoring by half: 34−36, 32−36
Pts: Knecht (37)
Rebs: Tied (4)
Asts: Zeigler (8)
Pts: Edey (40)
Rebs: Edey (16)
Asts: Smith (7)
Little Caesars ArenaDetroit, Michigan
Attendance: 18,577
Referees: Ron Groover, Marques Pettigrew, Ray Natali

Midwest regional all-tournament team

Final Four – Glendale, Arizona

National Semifinals
Final Four
Saturday, April 6
National Championship Game
Monday, April 8
      
E1UConn86
W4Alabama72
E1UConn75
MW1Purdue60
S11NC State50
MW1Purdue63


National semifinals

April 6
6:09 p.m. EDT
S11 NC State Wolfpack 50, MW1 Purdue Boilermakers 63
Scoring by half: 29−35, 21−28
Pts: DJ Horne, 20
Rebs: DJ Horne, 6
Asts: D. J. Burns, 3
Pts: Zach Edey, 20
Rebs: Zach Edey, 12
Asts: Braden Smith, 6
State Farm StadiumGlendale, Arizona
Attendance: 74,720
Referees: Keith Kimble, Kipp Kissinger, Michael Reed
TBS
April 6
8:49 p.m. EDT
W4 Alabama Crimson Tide 72, E1 UConn Huskies 86
Scoring by half: 40−44, 32−42
Pts: Mark Sears, 24
Rebs: Grant Nelson, 15
Asts: Tied, 3
Pts: Stephon Castle, 21
Rebs: Tied, 8
Asts: Tristen Newton, 9
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 74,720
Referees: Ron Groover, Patrick Adams, Paul Szelc

National championship

TBS
April 8, 2024
9:20 p.m. EDT
MW1 Purdue Boilermakers 60, E1 UConn Huskies 75
Scoring by half: 30−36, 30-39
Pts: Zach Edey, 37
Rebs: Zach Edey, 10
Asts: Braden Smith, 8
Pts: Tristen Newton, 20
Rebs: Cam Spencer, 8
Asts: Tristen Newton, 7
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 74,423
Referees: Jeffrey Anderson, Terry Oglesby, Roger Ayers

Final Four all-tournament team

Source:[7]

Record by conference

Overview of conference performance in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
ConferenceBidsRecordWin %FFR64R32S16E8F4CGNC
Big East310–2.8333331111
Big Ten610–6.625642211
Atlantic Coast512–5.705144431
Southeastern88–8.50083221
Big 1287–8.467852
Pac-1246–4.6001441
West Coast22–2.500211
Mountain West64–6.4002521
Atlantic 1022–2.50022
Horizon11–1.50011
Ivy League11–1.50011
Sun Belt11–1.50011
WAC11–1.50011
Northeast11–1.50011
SWAC11–1.50011
American20–2.0002
America East10–1.0001
ASUN10–1.0001
Big South10–1.0001
Big West10–1.0001
CAA10–1.0001
CUSA10–1.0001
MAAC10–1.0001
MAC10–1.0001
Missouri Valley10–1.0001
Ohio Valley10–1.0001
Patriot10–1.0001
Southern10–1.0001
Southland10–1.0001
Summit10–1.0001
Big Sky10–1.0001
MEAC10–1.0001

Game summaries and tournament notes

Tournament upsets

Per the NCAA, an upset occurs "when the losing team in an NCAA tournament game was seeded at least five seed lines better than the winning team."[8]

The 2024 tournament saw a total of 9 upsets, with seven in the first round, one in the Sweet Sixteen and one in the Elite Eight.

Upsets in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
RoundWestMidwestSouthEast
Round of 64No. 12 Grand Canyon defeated No. 5 Saint Mary's, 75–66No. 11 Oregon defeated No. 6 South Carolina, 87–73No. 14 Oakland defeated No. 3 Kentucky, 80–76
No. 11 NC State defeated No. 6 Texas Tech, 80–67
No. 12 James Madison defeated No. 5 Wisconsin, 72–61
No. 11 Duquesne defeated No. 6 BYU, 71–67
No. 13 Yale defeated No. 4 Auburn, 78–76
Round of 32NoneNoneNoneNone
Sweet 16NoneNoneNo. 11 NC State defeated No. 2 Marquette, 67–58None
Elite 8NoneNoneNo. 11 NC State defeated No. 4 Duke, 76–64None
Final 4None
National ChampionshipNone

Media coverage

Television

CBS Sports and TNT Sports have US television rights to the tournament.[9][10] As part of a cycle that began in 2016, TBS televised the 2024 Final Four and the National Championship Game.

This was the first tournament with Ian Eagle as the lead play-by-play announcer.

For the first time since 1997, longtime studio host Greg Gumbel was not part of this year's March Madness coverage due to family health issues.[11]

Beginning this tournament, Max will be streaming all of its games airing on its networks (TNT, TBS and TruTv) on its Bleacher Report Sports Add-On.[12]

CBS will continue to stream all of its games on Paramount+ and for free on March Madness Live.

Television channels

  • Selection Show – CBS
  • First Four – TruTV
  • First and Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV
  • Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16) and Finals (Elite 8) – CBS, TBS, and TruTV
  • National Semifinals (Final Four) and Championship – TBS, TNT, and TruTV

Studio hosts

  • Ernie Johnson (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Adam Lefkoe (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first, second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Adam Zucker (New York City) – First and second rounds
  • Jamie Erdahl – First and second rounds (game breaks)

Studio analysts

  • Charles Barkley (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Seth Davis (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Clark Kellogg (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Candace Parker (Atlanta and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regional semifinals and Final Four
  • Bruce Pearl (Atlanta) – Regional Semifinals
  • Kenny Smith (New York City and Glendale) – First and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Gene Steratore (New York City and Glendale) (Rules Analyst) – First Four, first and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – Second round
  • Jay Wright (Atlanta, New York City and Glendale) – First Four, first and second rounds, regionals, Final Four and national championship game

Broadcast assignments

Most watched tournament games

(#) Tournament seedings and region in parentheses.

RankRoundDate and Time (ET)MatchupNetworkViewers (millions)TV rating[13][14]
1Elite EightMarch 31, 2024, 5:10 p.m.(11 S) NC State76–64(4 S) DukeCBS15.146.4
2National ChampionshipApril 8, 2024, 9:09 p.m.(1 MW) Purdue60–75(1 E) UConnTBS14.826.5
3Final FourApril 6, 2024, 8:39 p.m.(4 W) Alabama72–86(1 E) UConn14.186.7
4Final FourApril 6, 2024, 6:09 p.m.(11 S) NC State50–63(1 MW) Purdue11.455.3
5Elite EightMarch 31, 2024, 2:20 p.m.(2 MW) Tennessee66–72(1 MW) PurdueCBS10.394.4
6Second RoundMarch 23, 2024, 5:36 p.m.(9 W) Michigan State69–85(1 W) North Carolina10.025.0
7Second RoundMarch 23, 2024, 3:15 p.m.(5 MW) Gonzaga89–68(4 MW) Kansas8.284.38
8Second RoundMarch 24, 2024, 2:40 p.m.(8 MW) Utah State67–106(1 MW) Purdue8.084.34
9Second RoundMarch 24, 2024, 5:15 p.m.(12 S) James Madison55–93(4 S) Duke7.804.03
10Elite EightMarch 30, 2024, 9:44 p.m.(6 W) Clemson82–89(4 W) AlabamaTBS7.803.80

Radio

Westwood One will have exclusive coverage of the entire tournament.

International

Internet

Video

Live video of games is available for streaming through the following means:[15]

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app, CBS games available for free on digital media players; access to all other games requires TV Everywhere authentication through provider)
  • Paramount+ (only CBS games)
  • Max (only TBS, TNT, and truTV games)
  • Watch TBS website and app (only TBS games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch TNT website and app (only TNT games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Watch truTV website and app (only truTV games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • CBS website and app (only CBS games, required TV Everywhere authentication)
  • Websites and apps of cable, satellite, and OTT providers of CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV (access required subscription)

For the app this year, a multiview which showed all games airing simultaneously was available for the second straight year.[16]

In addition, the March Madness app will offer Fast Break, whiparound coverage of games similar to NFL RedZone on the First weekend of the tournament (First and Second rounds).

Audio

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

  • NCAA March Madness Live (website and app)
  • Westwood One Sports website
  • TuneIn (website and app, required TuneIn Premium subscription)
  • Varsity Network app
  • Websites and apps of Westwood One Sports affiliates

The March Madness app also supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through a native app.[18]

See also

Notes

References