March Madness is the name given to the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournament championships, organized every year in March. The tournament games are a single-elimination, with 68 teams qualifying through their conference championships or being selected at-large by the NCAA committee. The men's competition started in 1939, and the women's competition started in 1982. The tournament grew over the years to 64 teams in 1985 for the men and 1994 for the women, growing to 68 teams in 2011 and 2022, respectively. The men's tournament has four regions with 16 teams each, seeded 1 through 16. The lowest-seeded teams play qualification games to earn final spots.
Games are played at multiple sites over three weeks, leading up to the Final Four and national championship. The women's tournament is structured similarly. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is the most successful in men's titles with 11, while the University of Connecticut (UConn) tops the women's tournament with 11 titles. The event typically has upsets with lower-seeded teams beating higher-seeded teams. In 2018, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, was the first 16-seed team to beat the 1-seed team, Virginia.
Smallest School to Win March Madness
The Villanova Wildcats were the smallest school to win March Madness. They won the tournament in 1985 by beating Georgetown Hoyas with a 66-64 scoreline. They earned the number 8 seeding, as per the official NCAA site.
1985 Championship Results
| Round | Opponent | Score | Opponent Seed |
| First Round (Round of 64) | Dayton | 51-49 | No. 9 |
| Second Round (Round of 32) | Michigan | 59-55 | No. 1 |
| Sweet 16 | Maryland | 46-43 | No. 5 |
| Elite Eight | North Carolina | 56-44 | No. 2 |
| Final Four (Semifinals) | Memphis State | 52-45 | No. 2 |
| National Championship | Georgetown | 66-64 | No. 1 |
The lowest seeds to make the men's Final Four, Elite Eight, and Sweet 16
| Round Reached | Lowest Seed to Achieve | Teams |
| Make Second Round (Round of 32) | No. 16 | 2018 UMBC, 2023 FDU |
| Make Sweet 16 | No. 15 | 2013 Florida Gulf Coast, 2021 Oral Roberts, 2022 Saint Peter's, 2023 Princeton |
| Make Elite Eight | No. 15 | 2022 Saint Peter's |
| Make Final Four | No. 11 | 1986 LSU, 2006 George Mason, 2011 VCU, 2018 Loyola Chicago, 2021 UCLA, 2024 NC State |
| Make Championship Game | No. 8 | 1985 Villanova, 2011 Butler, 2014 Kentucky, 2022 North Carolina |
| Win Title | No. 8 | 1985 Villanova |
FAQs on March Madness
A. The March Madness tournament begins in mid-March and concludes in early April.
A. The March Madness tournament progresses through the First Four, Round of 64, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the National Championship.
A. 68 teams compete in the NCAA March Madness tournament.
A. Selection Sunday is the day when the March Madness tournament bracket is revealed.
