WASHINGTON — It’s that time of year once again. March Madness has arrived and 68 men’s and women’s college basketball teams have their sights set on becoming national champions.
The 68-team field for both tournaments will be revealed on Selection Sunday and then it’s time for the games to begin.
When does March Madness start?
March Madness officially kicks off with the First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16.
Things really ramp up with the first round on Thursday and Friday, March 17 and March 18. The second round is Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and March 20.
After the first weekend of games, the action moves into the Sweet 16 on March 24 and March 25, followed by the Elite Eight on March 26 and March 27.
The men’s tournament wraps up with the Final Four on Saturday, April 2, and the championship game is on Monday, April 4.
Where is March Madness?
There are 14 sites this year hosting games for the men’s tournament. Last year’s tournament was played entirely in and around Indianapolis due to COVID-19 restrictions.
First Four: Dayton, Ohio
First/Second: Buffalo, New York; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Worth, Texas; Portland, Oregon; Greenville, South Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California
Sweet 16/Elite Eight: San Antonio, Texas; San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Final Four: New Orleans
How many teams are in March Madness?
There are 68 teams in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament.
This year, for the first time the women’s tournament will also have 68 teams. This comes after a comprehensive gender equity review commissioned after backlash driven by social media of disparities in the men’s and women’s 2021 tournaments, including weight rooms and other facilities.
How to watch the NCAA tournament
The full TV schedule will announced after the 68-team field is revealed on Selection Sunday.
March Madness games will be shown on TV across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. March Madness Live will again be streaming all 67 games online.
Who won March Madness last year?
In the 2021 men’s tournament, Baylor’s defense smothered Gonzaga and ended the Bulldogs’ hopes at an undefeated season. The Bears opened the game with an 11-1 run, built a 19-point first-half lead and never looked back on the way to an 86-70 win.
In the 2021 women’s tournament final, Arizona and Stanford faced off. The Cardinal got out to a 16-8 1st quarter lead but the Wildcats spent the next three quarters chipping it away. A pair of free throws by Arizona’s Aari McDonald with 36.6 seconds left pulled the Wildcats within one. Stanford milked the clock as much as they could, but couldn’t get a shot off, resulting in a shot clock violation.
As time expired, McDonald was double-teamed as she threw up a prayer from the top of the arc that bounced off the rim, giving Stanford the title, 54-53.