What's "March Madness"?
There is an affliction that grips what seems like the entire country every March. People who haven't uttered the word "hoops"
all year suddenly discuss brackets at great length. They debate "bubble teams," "automatic bids," and "at-large berths."
March Madness® refers to the end of the NCAA® Men's Division I College Basketball season, the conference tournaments and the
now 68-team, NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Who plays?
The top 68 Division I college basketball teams get invitations to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament for having some
combination of the best record, winning their conference tournament and / or having beaten other strong teams during the
season. The NCAA announces the top 60 seeds invited to the tournament as well as the eight teams in the new
Round 1 "play-in games" who compete for the remaining spots. The announcement is made by the NCAA on Selection Sunday™.
Rounds 2 & 3
The "Big Dance" as the NCAA Basketball tournament is sometimes called is a single elimination tournament that takes
place in venues across the country over the course of three weeks. The thirty-two round 2 games are played at eight venues
across the country on the Thursday and Friday following selection Sunday. Round 3 is played in those same eight venues
that Saturday and Sunday.
The Regional rounds, or the Sweet 16® and Elite 8® rounds
The 16 teams that win their round 2 and 3 games make it to the Regionals. The Regionals are held in four new venues
in the East Regional, West Regional, Midwest Regional or South Regional. Teams that make it to this round are commonly
referred to as the "Sweet 16." Teams that win their first Regional game are dubbed the "Elite 8." The regional games
follow the same format as rounds 2 & 3. The first games are on Thursday or Friday followed by the second set of
regional games on Saturday or Sunday.
Final Four® Round
The four teams that survive both regional games are appropriately dubbed the "Final Four." The final four teams still
alive in the tournament go on to a final venue to play the semi-finals and the championship game. Unlike the other
rounds that are played Thursday to Sunday, the Final Four games are played on Saturday (semis) and Monday (Championship Game).
Tickets – What's a Strip?
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament tickets can typically be purchased for individual games – sometimes called sessions
– or as a strip. A "full strip" is a ticket to all the games at a venue for the entire round.
Selection Sunday™, Sweet 16®, Elite 8®, Final Four®, March Madness®, and NCAA® are registered marks of the National Collegiate Athletics Association.
Championship
National Championship (Butler vs UConn): Final Four NCAA Tournament
Reliant Stadium,
Houston, TX
Mon, Apr 4, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Final Four® Round
National Semifinals (Butler vs VCU & UConn vs Kentucky): Final Four NCAA Tournament
Reliant Stadium,
Houston, TX
Sat, Apr 2, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Elite 8® Round
Southeast Regional Final (Florida vs Butler): NCAA Tournament New Orleans
New Orleans Arena,
New Orleans, LA
Sat, Mar 26, 2011
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This event is in the past.
West Regional Final (UConn vs Arizona): NCAA Tournament Anaheim
Honda Center,
Anaheim, CA
Sat, Mar 26, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Southwest Regional Final (Kansas vs VCU): NCAA Tournament San Antonio
Alamodome,
San Antonio, TX
Sun, Mar 27, 2011
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This event is in the past.
East Regional Finals (UNC vs Kentucky): NCAA Tournament Newark
Prudential Center,
Newark, NJ
Sun, Mar 27, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Sweet 16® Round
East Regional Semifinals: No. Carolina vs Marquette & Kentucky vs Ohio St. : NCAA Tournament Newark
Prudential Center,
Newark, NJ
Fri, Mar 25, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Southwest Regional Semifinals: Richmond vs Kansas & VCU vs Florida St. : NCAA Tournament San Antonio
Alamodome,
San Antonio, TX
Fri, Mar 25, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Southeast Regional Semifinals: Florida vs BYU & Butler vs Wisconsin : NCAA Tournament New Orleans
New Orleans Arena,
New Orleans, LA
Thu, Mar 24, 2011
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This event is in the past.
West Regional Semifinals: SDSU vs UConn & Duke vs Arizona: NCAA Tournament Anaheim
Honda Center,
Anaheim, CA
Thu, Mar 24, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Round 2 and Round 3
West Va. vs Clemson & Kentucky vs Princeton : NCAA Tournament Tampa
Tampa Bay Times Forum,
Tampa, FL
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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Louisville vs Morehead St. & Vandy vs Richmond : NCAA Tournament Denver
Pepsi Center,
Denver, CO
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Temple vs Penn St. & SDSU vs No. Colorado & TBD vs TBD : NCAA Tournament Tucson
McKale Memorial Center,
Tucson, AZ
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Butler vs Old Dominion & Pittsburgh vs UNC Asheville : NCAA Tournament DC
Verizon Center,
Washington, DC
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Kansas vs BU & UNLV vs Illinois : NCAA Tournament Tulsa
BOK Center,
Tulsa, OK
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
No. Carolina vs Long Island & Washington vs Georgia : NCAA Tournament Charlotte
Time Warner Cable Arena,
Charlotte, NC
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Xavier vs Marquette & Syracuse vs Indiana St. : NCAA Tournament Cleveland
Quicken Loans Arena,
Cleveland, OH
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Purdue vs St Peters & Georgetown vs VCU : NCAA Tournament Chicago
United Center,
Chicago, IL
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Texas vs Oakland & Arizona vs Memphis : NCAA Tournament Tulsa
BOK Center,
Tulsa, OK
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Michigan vs Tennessee & Duke vs Hampton : NCAA Tournament Charlotte
Time Warner Cable Arena,
Charlotte, NC
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Villanova vs Geo Mason & Ohio St vs UTSA : NCAA Tournament Cleveland
Quicken Loans Arena,
Cleveland, OH
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Notre Dame vs Akron & Texas A&M vs Florida St. : NCAA Tournament Chicago
United Center,
Chicago, IL
Fri, Mar 18, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Florida vs UCSB & UCLA vs Michigan St. : NCAA Tournament Tampa
Tampa Bay Times Forum,
Tampa, FL
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
BYU vs Wofford & St Johns vs Gonzaga : NCAA Tournament Denver
Pepsi Center,
Denver, CO
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Wisconsin vs Belmont & Kansas St. vs Utah St. : NCAA Tournament Tucson
McKale Memorial Center,
Tucson, AZ
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
UConn vs Bucknell & Cincinnati vs Missouri : NCAA Tournament DC
Verizon Center,
Washington, DC
Thu, Mar 17, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Kentucky vs West Va. & Florida vs UCLA : NCAA Tournament Tampa
Tampa Bay Times Forum,
Tampa, FL
Sat, Mar 19, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Richmond vs Morehead St & BYU vs Gonzaga : NCAA Tournament Denver
Pepsi Center,
Denver, CO
Sat, Mar 19, 2011
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This event is in the past.
SDSU vs Temple & Wisconsin vs Kansas St.: NCAA Tournament Tucson
McKale Memorial Center,
Tucson, AZ
Sat, Mar 19, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Pittsburgh vs Butler & UConn vs Cincinnati : NCAA Tournament DC
Verizon Center,
Washington, DC
Sat, Mar 19, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Texas vs Arizona & Kansas vs Illinois : NCAA Tournament Tulsa
BOK Center,
Tulsa, OK
Sun, Mar 20, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Notre Dame vs Florida St. & Purdue vs VCU : NCAA Tournament Chicago
United Center,
Chicago, IL
Sun, Mar 20, 2011
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This event is in the past.
No. Carolina vs Washington & Duke vs Michigan : NCAA Tournament Charlotte
Time Warner Cable Arena,
Charlotte, NC
Sun, Mar 20, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Ohio St. vs George Mason & Marquette vs Syracuse : NCAA Tournament Cleveland
Quicken Loans Arena,
Cleveland, OH
Sun, Mar 20, 2011
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This event is in the past.
Play In Round
UTSA vs. Alabama St & USC vs. VCU : NCAA Tournament Dayton
University of Dayton Arena,
Dayton, OH
Wed, Mar 16, 2011
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This event is in the past.