Let the madness begin!
March Madness arrived Sunday evening when the NCAA released its 68-team tournament bracket, sending hundreds of thousands of fans scrambling to study college basketball before filling out their brackets before first-round games begin Thursday.
Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are the favorites. Miami (Ohio) made it. Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn didn’t.
If you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to expand the field by at least four teams and possibly more. And keep an eye out for the NCAA punishing teams that fail to provide player availability reports. Fines begin at $10,000.
The betting favorites
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Michigan (plus-325) is a slight favorite to win the national championship over Duke (plus-333) despite the Wolverines’ 80-72 loss to Purdue in Sunday’s Big Ten tourney title game.
Michigan and Duke are followed by Arizona (plus-425), defending champion Florida (plus-600) and last year’s national runner-up, Houston (plus-1,000). UConn, which won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, is fifth at plus-1,800.
Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida earned the No. 1 seeds in the four respective regions.
Food for thought: Michigan State in 2000 was the last Big Ten team to win the national championship, which was played that year in Indianapolis, the site of this year’s Final Four. But remember: Three of Duke’s five national championships (1991, 2010 and 2015) were won in Indianapolis while Arizona captured its only national title in Indy in 1997. Florida also won the first of back-to-back national championships in 2006 — in Indy.
Games to watch
No. 2 seed Purdue (27-8) vs. No. 15 Queens (21-13), Friday, West Region. The Big Ten tourney champs and No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll faces a first-time NCAA tourney entrant and has a history of early departures against smaller-school teams. Purdue guard Braden Smith needs two assists to break Bobby Hurley’s Division I career record (1,076).
No. 5 seed Wisconsin (24-10) vs. No. 12 High Point (30-4), Thursday, West Region. Showtime! The Big South tourney champs are tied for the third-highest scoring average in Division I (90.0 points). Wisconsin isn’t far behind at 83.5 points (30th). The fact it’s a five-12 matchup could be a fun upset pick.
No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) (31-1) vs. No. 11 SMU (20-13), Wednesday, First Four. Some bracketologists thought the Mustangs didn’t belong while others thought the lack of schedule strength and quality wins should leave Miami out. Instead, both teams now have a chance to prove they belong.
No. 7 Miami (Florida) (25-8) vs. 10 Missouri (20-12), Friday, West Region. The Hurricanes got a tough draw against a lower seeded foe that will play just about 90 minutes away from its campus. Sure, Missouri has lost three straight. But a home-like crowd could make this an upset special.
How to watch
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated once the time slots are assigned later Sunday. Games will be telecast either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.
Who is playing
The 31 conference tourney winners received automatic bids into the field. Twelve selection committee members chose the remaining 37 at-large teams, leaving some of the missing teams miffed as usual.
When the Madness begins
After this week’s First Four games, first- and second-round games will be played Thursday and Saturday in Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Portland, Oregon and Oklahoma City. Games played Friday and Sunday will be in Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Tampa, Florida.
Sweet 16 games will be played March 26-29 in Houston (South), Washington (East), Chicago (Midwest) and San Jose, California (West).
The Final Four is Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the title game the night of Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
