NCAA

A short history

NCAA.com’s March Madness explainer says the first NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament was in 1939. That field had eight teams. Oregon beat Ohio State 46–33 for the title.

The same page says the tournament was held every year until it was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that the field expanded to 76 teams for 2027.

Current teams

365 clubs from the published list. Open a club for its desk. Men’s Division I clubs from the ESPN conference tables used on this desk.

Playoffs

NCAA.com says 32 Division I conferences receive an automatic bid, awarded to the winner of each conference tournament. The selection committee then adds 44 at-large clubs. The field is revealed on Selection Sunday.

For 2027, Selection Sunday is March 14. The Opening Round is 12 games on March 16–17. Those 12 winners join the rest of the field of 64. The first round is March 18–19, the second round March 20–21, the Sweet 16 March 25–26, and the Elite Eight March 27–28. The Final Four is April 3 at Ford Field.

NCAA.org’s selections page says the 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large clubs play in the Opening Round.

NCAA championship

NCAA.com says the Division I men’s tournament is a single-elimination event. The penultimate round is the Final Four. The 2027 championship game is Monday, April 5, at Ford Field in Detroit.

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