It’s March, and the NCAA tournaments are underway — starting with the First Four play-in games. Below is a concise primer to help you follow both the men’s and women’s 68-team tournaments: how teams get in, what the rounds mean, seeding basics, how to fill a bracket, and key betting and pool formats.
Quick essentials
How are teams chosen?
– Each tournament has 68 teams. Thirty-one spots are automatic qualifiers earned by winning conference tournaments. The remaining 37 are at-large bids the selection committee awards to teams with strong résumés.
What is the First Four?
– The First Four are four play-in games that reduce the field from 68 to 64. In 2026 the men’s First Four are scheduled for March 17–18; the women’s First Four are March 18–19. Games are broadcast across ESPN networks and ABC.
What is Selection Sunday?
– Selection Sunday is when the selection committee reveals the full 68-team fields and regional seedings for each tournament. In 2026 that took place on March 15.
What are Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and the championship?
– After the first two rounds the field narrows to 16 teams (Sweet 16), then eight (Elite Eight), then four (Final Four), and finally the championship matchup. Key 2026 dates:
– Men’s Sweet 16: March 26–27
– Men’s Elite Eight: March 28–29
– Men’s Final Four: April 4; men’s championship: April 6
– Women’s Sweet 16: March 27–28
– Women’s Elite Eight: March 29–30
– Women’s Final Four: April 3; women’s championship: April 5
History and format basics
What is “March Madness”?
– The phrase refers to the NCAA Division I single-elimination tournaments for men and women, each featuring 68 teams and up to seven rounds to decide a national champion.
Where did the term come from?
– H.V. Porter used “March Madness” in a 1939 essay about Illinois high school basketball. The phrase became widely associated with the college tournament after broadcaster Brent Musburger helped popularize it during the 1982 men’s event.
When did the tournaments begin?
– The first NCAA Division I men’s tournament was held in 1939 (eight teams), and Oregon won the inaugural title. The first NCAA women’s tournament was in 1982; Louisiana Tech won that initial crown. Before 1982, women’s national championships were organized by the AIAW.
Differences between the men’s and women’s tournaments
– Since 2022 both tournaments use 68 teams and the March Madness branding. A structural difference: men’s early-round host sites are predetermined; the women’s top 16 seeds host first- and second-round games, giving higher seeds home-court advantage early.
What is “One Shining Moment”?
– “One Shining Moment” is the closing montage and song (written by David Barrett) traditionally shown at the end of the men’s championship telecast since 1987.
Seeding and selection details
How do seeds get assigned?
– The selection committee ranks all 68 teams and places them into four regions with seeds 1–16. Rankings are based on performance metrics, strength of schedule, results, and committee judgment.
How is a No. 1 seed chosen?
– No. 1 seeds are the four teams the committee deems the strongest over the season. They’re generally seen as the favorites to win. Historically, in the women’s tournament since 1982 No. 1 seeds have won 33 of 43 titles. In the men’s tournament (since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985), a No. 1 seed has captured 26 championships, and at least one No. 1 has reached the Final Four in 37 of the last 40 tournaments.
What are at-large bids and who decides them?
– At-large bids (37 per tournament) go to teams that didn’t win their conference tournament but have strong resumes. Each selection committee has 12 members who typically serve five-year terms and vote to determine at-large teams and final seedings.
What is a “bubble team”?
– A bubble team sits on the selection margin — close to being included or excluded. Media outlets and bracket analysts track bubble teams closely leading up to Selection Sunday.
Brackets, odds, and common terms
How do I fill out a March Madness bracket?
– Most fans use services like ESPN’s Tournament Challenge (men’s and women’s). Create or join a pool, then pick winners round by round. You can fill in a bracket manually or use an autofill tool. Brackets lock before each tournament begins; in 2026 men’s brackets locked at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday and women’s at 11:30 a.m. ET Friday.
Has anyone ever submitted a perfect bracket?
– No verified perfect bracket has ever been recorded. The raw odds are astronomical — often cited as about 1 in 9.2 quintillion if every game were a 50/50 coin flip. With knowledgeable picks the odds improve but remain vanishingly unlikely (one commonly quoted estimate is about 1 in 120.2 billion). Some brackets have gone surprisingly deep (43–50 correct picks) before being busted.
What is “Bracketology” and who coined it?
– Joe Lunardi popularized the term after calling himself a “Bracketologist” in a 1996 Philadelphia Inquirer piece. He’s known for publishing regular bracket projections and analysis.
What is a “Cinderella” team?
– A Cinderella is a lower-seeded underdog that upsets higher seeds and advances far, creating a memorable tournament run. The phrase has long been used in sports upset narratives.
Betting, pools, and contest types
Is it legal to bet on March Madness everywhere?
– No. Sports betting laws vary by state. As of the latest updates, online sports betting remains illegal in 19 states, while retail betting is permitted in 38 states. Minimum betting ages vary by state, typically between 18 and 21.
How do common pools and contests work?
– Standard bracket pools award points for correct picks with values rising each round. ESPN’s Tournament Challenge is free and allows up to 25 brackets per player.
– Eliminator (survivor) contests: pick one winning team per day; if your pick wins, you advance, but you can only use each team once.
– March Madness squares: use a 10×10 grid with digits 0–9 along each axis. After the game, the last digits of each team’s score determine the winning square.
Final note
This guide covers the nuts and bolts you need to follow the tournaments: how teams are selected, what each round means, seeding basics, bracket tips, and how common betting and pool formats work. Enjoy the upsets, buzzer-beaters, and bracket talk — the madness is why the month captivates so many fans.