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The 2024 March Madness is shaping up and there are already a few teams that have clinched spots in the Big Dance. These teams have secured automatic bids through their conference tournaments while others are still competing to clinch their spots.
As of March 13, a handful of teams have earned their top spots in the Big Dance Tournament. The Morehead State Eagles clinched the first spot in the men's NCAA Tournament by defeating Little Rock during the Ohio Valley Championship.
Take a look at all the teams that have punched their March Madness tickets so far.
2024 men's NCAA Tournament automatic bids tracker
ACC- NC State
Following a dream run, beating Duke, Virginia, and UNC, NC State punched their ticket to March Madness in dominant fashion. The Wolfpack are now on a five-game win streak in the ACC and will carry the momentum to the Big Dance.
NC State started the ACC tournament as a fringe team for March Madness but is now an automatic bid following the title win.
America East- Vermont
The Vermont Catamounts overcame a five-point deficit in the first half of the America East title game against UMass to punch their ticket to March Madness. The comeback also sealed Vermont's third consecutive conference title.
The Catamounts are currently on a 10-game winning streak and have won five of the last six conference championships.
ASUN- Stetson
The Stetson Hatters had an exciting run in the Atlantic Sun tournament, including a buzzer-beater three against Jacksonville to cap off a comeback win in the semifinals. Their title game against Austin Peay had a similar storyline, with the Hatters overcoming a seven-point deficit late in the second half.
This was Stetson's first ASUN championship, and it will be their first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Big 12- Iowa State
Iowa State cruised through all three of their opponents during the Big 12 conference tournament defeating the likes of Kansas State, Baylor, and Houston. Their win against Houston wasn't a normal one either. The Cyclones managed to hold the first-seeded Cougars to just 41 points, dominantly winning the conference championship.
This was Iowa State's fifth Big 12 championship in the last 10 years, and their sixth title overall.
Big East- UConn
The UConn Huskies maintained their dominance throughout the season, as Dan Hurley and co. only managed to lose three games this year. The Huskies had a close call against St. John's in the tournament semifinal but managed to overcome the Red Storm in a five-point win, and finished off the tournament in convincing fashion against Marquette (73-57).
This was UConn's eighth Big East tournament title win, tying Georgetown for most in the conference. The Huskies are currently the odds-on favorite to win March Madness (+500), according to BetMGM.
Big Sky- Montana State
In a tournament that saw multiple upsets, Montana State battled against third-seeded Montana for the Big Sky conference title. Their win against in-state rivals Montana was also HC Logie's first, clinching the Bobcats' first NCAA tournament appearance.
Big South- Longwood
One of the first teams to clinch an automatic March Madness bid, Longwood will be heading to their second Big Dance. The Lancers improved to 21-13 with a 26-point win over UNC Asheville.
Big West- Long Beach State
In a rare occurrence, Long Beach State agreed to part ways with their coach Dan Monson, and have managed to clinch a March Madness berth by winning the Big West tournament, in less than a week. The Beach got past UC Davis to cap off their absurd week, prompting a bullish post-game interview by Monson.
CAA- Charleston
The Charleston Cougars (27-7) will be heading to their second consecutive NCAA tournament with a CAA championship win against Stony Brook. The Cougars are on a 12-game winning streak and have been to the Big Dance seven times throughout their history.
Conference USA- Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers clinched Conference USA's automatic bid with a 78-71 win against UTEP in the conference tournament title game. Western Kentucky improved to a 22-11 overall record on the season and is projected to be a 15th seed in the NCAA tournament.
This will be Western Kentucky's 24th appearance in March Madness. Their last win in the NCAA tournament came in the First Four back in 2012.
Horizon League- Oakland
Led by Trey Townsend's career-high 38 points, the Oakland Grizzlies clinched their first NCAA tournament appearance in over a decade. This will also be Oakland's first March Madness trip as a member of the Horizon League, as their previous three appearances were as a part of the Summit League.
MAAC- Saint Peter's
The Peacocks are another team that had a magical run in their conference tournament. Saint Peter's started the MAAC tournament as the fifth seed and overcame (4) Rider, (1) Quinnipac, and (2) Fairfield to win their fifth conference title (second in the last three seasons).
The Peacocks will be looking to replicate their success from two years ago when they made the Elite Eight defeating the likes of Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue.
MAC- Akron
Akron was on the verge of defeat in their MAC conference championship game against Kent State. However, a costly error by the Golden Flashes' Julius Rollin kept the Zips alive, giving them a chance to close out the game, avoiding an upset against 8th-seeded Kent State.
The Zips will now head to their second March Madness in the last three years, with a 24-10 overall record.
MEAC- Howard
Fourth-seeded Howard (18-16) booked their ticket to the NCAA tournament with a 70-67 win over Delaware State. The Bison upset first-seeded Norfolk State on their way to the title game, and will now be the sole MEAC representative at the Big Dance.
This was Howard's first conference championship win and will be its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005.
Missouri Valley- Drake
The Drake Bulldogs (29-6) capped off their league play with an 84-80 win over first-seeded Indiana State. The Bulldogs secured their third NCAA tournament berth in the last four seasons, adding a consecutive MVC title to its resume.
Drake lost to Miami in the first round last year and will be looking for a better outcome this season.
MWC- New Mexico
New Mexico (26-9) secured a 68-61 win over fifth-seeded San Diego State to clinch their first title and a NCAA tournament berth since 2014. The Aztecs who went on a Cinderella run last season and finished runners-up behind UConn will now be an at-large bid on Selection Sunday.
Northeast- Wagner
In an underdog story for the history books, Wagner clinched their second NCAA tournament berth in school history, with just seven healthy players. The Seahawks lost four of their starters to season-ending injuries by December but were able to stay competitive for the second half of the season finishing as a 6th seed.
Wagner last appeared in March Madness around two decades ago. With their shorthanded win against Merrimack in the NEC title game, Wagner will now look to carry the momentum going into the first round.
Ohio Valley- Morehead State
Morehead State will head to the NCAA tournament following a record-setting regular season. The Eagles put up 26 wins this year, the most in school history. The team almost fell short in the Ohio Valley championship game, blowing a 17-point lead in the second half.
However, the Eagles were able to stop the landslide and came out with a win thanks to Riley Minix sparking an 18-5 run.
Pac-12- Oregon
The fourth-seeded Ducks managed to grab a ticket to March Madness with a Pac-12 tournament win, besting the Colorado Buffs by seven points. In the Pac-12's final season as it is currently constructed, Oregon clinched an automatic bid beating fifth-seeded UCLA, first-seeded Arizona, and third-seeded Colorado on the way.
Patriot League- Colgate
Colgate will be heading to their third consecutive March Madness with a Patriot League title win over sixth-seeded Lafayette. It was also the Raiders' fourth conference win in the last five years led by HC Langel. Colgate is currently on a 26-game winning streak against conference opponents.
Southern- Samford
The Bulldogs took out East Tennessee in the Southern Conference championship game, clinching their first March Madness bid since 2000. Samford's 29 wins this season were also the most in program history.
Southland- McNeese State
McNeese State will be headed to the Big Dance for the first time, in over two decades, making it just their third appearance all time. The Cowboys broke the most wins in a season, most home wins, most road wins in a season, and most 10+ point wins among other records this year.
SWAC- Grambling State
Grambling State (20-14) led by double digits against Texas Southern in the SWAC conference championship game and managed to hold off a late comeback to book their place in this year's NCAA Tournament. This will be the Tigers' first March Madness appearance.
Summit League- South Dakota State
South Dakota State capped off league play with an eight-point win over Denver in the Summit League conference championship game. The Jackrabbits were the first-seed heading into the tournament and managed to take care of Oral Roberts, St. Thomas before facing off against the Pioneers.
Sun Belt- James Madison
The Dukes will be heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. Their 20-point win over Arkansas State in the Sun Belt conference championship game ensured their second March Madness ticket in three decades.
The Dukes' 31 wins this season also broke their previous school record for most in a season (24), giving them added momentum heading into the first round.
West Coast- Saint Mary's
The Gaels will be a projected seventh seed in this year's March Madness after a West Coast Conference championship win against Gonzaga. This was also their 18th win in the last 19, after starting the season with a 3-5 record.
The Gaels got the better of Gonzaga through the season winning two of their three matchups against the Bulldogs.
How many teams get automatic bids to the NCAA tournament?
32 teams get automatic bids by winning their respective conference championships. These teams get into the tournament regardless of their seeds and records. The 32 teams are also known as automatic qualifiers.
Besides the 32 conference champions, the rest of the field is filled with at-large bids. An at-large bid is for a team that did not win its conference tournament, and their fate rests in the hands of the selection committee. The committee decided that 36 teams have the quality to earn an invitation to the tournament.
How to watch 2024 March Madness?
The 2024 March Madness can be watched without cable through various channels. CBS broadcasts most Sunday Selection and Men's NCAA games while TBS, TNT, and TruTV get to broadcast the tournament matches.
Women's NCAA games are predominantly shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU ESPN News, ABC, and ESPN+.
For online streaming, live TV services offer comprehensive coverage from Sunday Selection to the Championship game. Paramount's subsidiaries, including ET, CBS, and Paramount+ with Showtime, are involved in broadcasting.
