The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, or March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament to crown the national champion. This tournament began in 1939 and it consists of 68 teams. It has expanded several times, with its current format instituted in 2011. The tournament is known for upsets, as less-seeded teams beat higher-seeded opponents. Historically, only conference champions participated until at-large bids were introduced in 1975, and full seeding was established in 1979. UCLA holds the most championships with 11, followed by Kentucky with eight. Connecticut and North Carolina have six titles each, while Duke and Indiana have five. Kansas has four, Villanova has three, and seven programs have won twice. A total of 23 teams have won once.
All the games are broadcast live on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV under the brand of NCAA March Madness. As per Reuters, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery bought the broadcasting rights, paying $891 million and the contract is until the 2032 season. The NCAA distributes funds according to performance in the tournament, improving the quality of the tournament with every win. The Bracket competitions are also popular, in which players make predictions, with over 60 million brackets filled out every year.
What are the Sweet 16 locations?
The Sweet 16 locations for the March Madness tournament are Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey from the East region, State Farm Arena in Atlanta from the South region, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from the Midwest region, and Chase Center in San Francisco from the West region, as per ESPN.
| Region | Venue | Location |
| East | Prudential Center | Newark, New Jersey |
| South | State Farm Arena | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Midwest | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| West | Chase Center | San Francisco, California |
When are the Sweet 16 games scheduled?
The March Madness tournament’s Sweet 16 games are scheduled on March 27 and 28, 2025.
FAQs on March Madness
A. The March Madness is the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
A. 68 teams compete in the March Madness tournament.
A. The first March Madness Tournament was in 1939.
A. The March Madness is a single-elimination format.
