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.

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. 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.

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. 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, along with becoming the first defending champion to advance to the Sweet Sixteen since 2016.

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.

+First four outNETSchoolConferenceRecord46OklahomaBig 1220–1267Seton HallBig East20–1229Indiana StateMVC28–640PittsburghACC22–11

Schedule and venues The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2024 tournament:

First Four March 19 and 20 University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)

First and Second Rounds (Subregionals) March 21 and 23 Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina (Host: University of North Carolina at Charlotte) CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska (Host: Creighton University) PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Host: Duquesne University) Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah (Host: University of Utah) March 22 and 24 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (Host: Atlantic 10 Conference) Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: IUPUI, Horizon League) FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee (Host: University of Memphis) Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Washington (Host: University of Idaho)

Regional Semi-Finals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) March 28 and 30 East Regional TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts (Host: Boston College) West Regional Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California (Host: Pepperdine University) March 29 and 31 South Regional American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (Host: Big 12 Conference) Midwest Regional Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan (Hosts: University of Detroit Mercy, Oakland University)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four) April 6 and 8 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona (Host: Arizona State University)

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 tournamentConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidAmerica EastVermont10th2023AmericanUAB17th2022Atlantic 10Duquesne6th1977ACCNC State29th2023ASUNStetson1stBig 12Iowa State23rd2023Big EastUConn36th2023Big SkyMontana State6th2023Big SouthLongwood2nd2022Big TenIllinois34th2023Big WestLong Beach State7th2012CAACharleston7th2023CUSAWestern Kentucky26th2013HorizonOakland4th2011Ivy LeagueYale7th2022MAACSaint Peter's5th2022MACAkron6th2022MEACHoward4th2023Missouri ValleyDrake7th2023Mountain WestNew Mexico16th2014NECWagner2nd2003Ohio ValleyMorehead State9th2021Pac-12Oregon18th2021PatriotColgate7th2023SECAuburn13th2023SouthernSamford3rd2000SouthlandMcNeese3rd2002SWACGrambling State1stSummit LeagueSouth Dakota State7th2022Sun BeltJames Madison6th2013WCCSaint Mary's13th2023WACGrand Canyon3rd2023

Seeds

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, MASeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1UConnBig East31–31Automatic20232Iowa StateBig 1227–78Automatic20233IllinoisBig Ten26–812Automatic20234AuburnSEC27–715Automatic20235San Diego StateMountain West24–1018At Large20236BYUBig 1223–1021At Large20217Washington StatePac-1224–926At Large20088Florida AtlanticAmerican25–831At Large20239NorthwesternBig Ten21–1136At Large202310DrakeMissouri Valley28–640Automatic202311DuquesneAtlantic 1024–1146Automatic197712UABAmerican23–1150Automatic202213YaleIvy22–952Automatic202214Morehead StateOhio Valley26–857Automatic202115South Dakota StateSummit22–1261Automatic202216StetsonASUN22–1264AutomaticNever+West Regional – Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CASeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1North CarolinaACC27–74At Large20222ArizonaPac-1225–86At Large20233BaylorBig 1223–109At Large20234AlabamaSEC21–1116At Large20235Saint Mary'sWCC26–720Automatic20236ClemsonACC21–1122At Large20217DaytonAtlantic 1024–728At Large20178Mississippi StateSEC21–1332At Large20239Michigan StateBig Ten19–1433At Large202310NevadaMountain West26–737At Large202311New MexicoMountain West26–944Automatic201412Grand CanyonWAC29–447Automatic202313CharlestonCAA27–754Automatic202314ColgatePatriot25–958Automatic202315Long Beach StateBig West21–1459Automatic201216*HowardMEAC18–1667Automatic2023WagnerNEC16–1568Automatic2003+South Regional – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXSeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1HoustonBig 1230–42At Large20232MarquetteBig East25–97At Large20233KentuckySEC23–911At Large20234DukeACC24–813At Large20235WisconsinBig Ten22–1319At Large20226Texas TechBig 1223–1023At Large20227FloridaSEC24–1125At Large20218NebraskaBig Ten23–1029At Large20149Texas A&MSEC20–1434At Large202310*Boise StateMountain West22–1038At Large2023ColoradoPac-1224–1039At Large202111NC StateACC22–1445Automatic202312James MadisonSun Belt31–348Automatic201313VermontAmerica East28–651Automatic202314OaklandHorizon23–1155Automatic201115Western KentuckyC-USA22–1160Automatic201316LongwoodBig South21–1363Automatic2022+Midwest Regional – Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MISeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1PurdueBig Ten29–43At Large20232TennesseeSEC24–85At Large20233CreightonBig East23–910At Large20234KansasBig 1222–1014At Large20235GonzagaWest Coast25–717At Large20236South CarolinaSEC26–724At Large20177TexasBig 1220–1227At Large20238Utah StateMountain West27–630At Large20239TCUBig 1221–1235At Large202310*VirginiaACC23–1041At Large2023Colorado StateMountain West24–1042At Large202211OregonPac-1223–1143Automatic202112McNeeseSouthland30–349Automatic200213SamfordSouthern29–553Automatic200014AkronMAC24–1056Automatic202215Saint Peter'sMAAC19–1362Automatic202216*Montana StateBig Sky17–1765Automatic2023Grambling StateSWAC20–1466AutomaticNever *See First Four Source:

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.

East regional – Boston, Massachusetts

East regional final

East regional all-tournament team Donovan Clingan (MOP) - UConn Cam Spencer - UConn Stephon Castle - UConn Terrence Shannon Jr. - Illinois Jaedon LeDee - San Diego State

West regional – Los Angeles, California

West regional final

West regional all-tournament team Mark Sears (MOP) - Alabama Grant Nelson - Alabama PJ Hall - Clemson Chase Hunter - Clemson Ian Schieffelin - Clemson

South regional – Dallas, Texas

South regional final

Related article: Tobacco Road (rivalry)

South regional all-tournament team D. J. Burns (MOP) - N.C. State DJ Horne - N.C. State Jared McCain - Duke Jamal Shead - Houston Tyler Kolek - Marquette

Midwest regional – Detroit, Michigan

Midwest regional final

Midwest regional all-tournament team Zach Edey (MOP) - Purdue Braden Smith - Purdue Dalton Knecht - Tennessee Zakai Zeigler - Tennessee Baylor Scheierman - Creighton

Final Four – Glendale, Arizona

National semifinals

National championship

Final Four all-tournament team Tristen Newton (MOP) - UConn Stephon Castle - UConn Donovan Clingan - UConn Zach Edey - Purdue Cam Spencer - UConn Source:

Record by conference +Overview of conference performance in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournamentConferenceBidsRecordWin %Atlantic Coast 5 12–5 .705 1 4 4 4 3 1 – –Big East 3 10–2 .833 – 3 3 3 1 1 1 1Big Ten 6 10–6 .625 – 6 4 2 2 1 1 –Southeastern 8 8–8 .500 – 8 3 2 2 1 – –Big 12 8 7–8 .467 – 8 5 2 – – – –Pac-12 4 6–4 .600 1 4 4 1 – – – –Mountain West 6 4–6 .400 2 5 2 1 – – – –West Coast 2 2–2 .500 – 2 1 1 – – – –Atlantic 10 2 2–2 .500 – 2 2 – – – – –Horizon 1 1–1 .500 – 1 1 – – – – –Ivy League 1 1–1 .500 – 1 1 – – – – –Sun Belt 1 1–1 .500 – 1 1 – – – – –WAC 1 1–1 .500 – 1 1 – – – – –Northeast 1 1–1 .500 1 1 – – – – – –SWAC 1 1–1 .500 1 1 – – – – – –American 2 0–2 .000 – 2 – – – – – –America East 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –ASUN 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Big South 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Big West 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –CAA 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –CUSA 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –MAAC 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –MAC 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Missouri Valley 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Ohio Valley 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Patriot 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Southern 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Southland 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Summit 1 0–1 .000 – 1 – – – – – –Big Sky 1 0–1 .000 1 – – – – – – –MEAC 1 0–1 .000 1 – – – – – – –

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."

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.