When is March Madness 2024? Dates, TV schedule, locations, odds, more for NCAA Tournament
Christmas has finally arrived for college basketball — or, as fans call it, March Madness.
For the next month, college basketball will take center stage as fans across the country glue themselves to their couches or migrate to sports bars to see which of the 68 teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament will have their one shining moment.
One of the favorites this year, No. 2 UConn, looks to be the first team since Billy Donovan's Florida Gators won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. While the ultimate goal is the national title, storylines will emerge from throughout Selection Sunday through the national championship game.
MORE: Watch select 2024 NCAA Tournament games live with Sling TV
Will this year's tournament have a historic upset like last year when 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson University defeated No. 1 overall seed Purdue in Columbus? Will Zach Edey get a shot at playing in the Final Four, or will Purdue not make it out of the first weekend again? Who will be this year's version of Florida Atlantic?
If there is anything March Madness has taught us over the years, it's to expect the unexpected and wait for some madness to stir up.
Here's what you need to know for the 2024 NCAA Tournament from TV schedules, results, streaming options, game site information, national championship betting odds and much more:
REQUIRED READING: Tom Izzo still believes his Spartans can make a run. Foolish optimism or fool's gold?
March Madness Bracket 2024
The full field of 68 will be released on Sunday, March 17 during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. The NCAA Tournament consists of 32 automatic qualifiers from conference champions and 36 at-large teams that the NCAA Tournament selection committee selects.
This section will be updated when the 68-team bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.
NCAA Tournament schedule 2024
Start date: Tuesday, March 19 (First Four)
End date: Monday, April 8 (national championship)
The 2024 NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 19 in Dayton, Ohio with the First Four. The first set of first-round games will begin Thursday, March 21.
The Final Four begins Saturday, April 6 in Glendale, Arizona. The national championship game taking place on Monday, April 8 inside State Farm Stadium.
Here is the full schedule breakdown for the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
First Four: Tuesday, March 19 through Wednesday, March 20
Round of 64: Thursday, March 21 through Friday, March 22
Round of 32: Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 24
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 28 through Friday, March 29
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 30 through Sunday, March 31
Final Four: Saturday, April 6
National Championship: Monday, April 8
This section will be updated.
MARCH MADNESS: 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets
When is the First Four?
For the 12th year, the First Four will take place in Dayton, Ohio at UD Arena on the campus of the University of Dayton.
The First Four will pit the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers vs. the four lowest-seeded at-large teams, with the winner of their respective games advancing to the 64-team field.
Date: Tuesday, March 19 through Wednesday, March 20
Time: TBD
TV channel: truTV
Live stream: March Madness Live App, Sling TV
When is the Final Four?
The Final Four this year will take place at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, Arizona. The national semifinals will take place on Saturday, April 6, with the national championship game taking place on Monday, April 8.
It is the first time the Final Four is returning to Phoenix since North Carolina defeated Gonzaga in 2017.
Date: Saturday, April 6
Time: TBD
TV channel: TBS
Live stream: March Madness Live App, Sling TV
How to watch March Madness games in 2024
CBS (21 games), TBS (21), TNT (12) and truTV (13) will each carry games during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. You can also stream select NCAA Tournament games on Sling TV and the NCAA March Madness Live app.
Here are the regional weekend announcer crews:
Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson
Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce
Kevin Harlen, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy, Andy Katz
Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Evan Washburn
Here are the other broadcast crews, in alphabetical order:
Lisa Byington, Steve Smith, Robbie Hummel, Lauren Shehadi
Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel, Jon Rothstein
Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, Avery Johnson, AJ Ross
Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood, Dana Johnson
Where is March Madness 2024?
With a field of 68 and teams scattered throughout the country, the NCAA Tournament is once again taking place at 14 different arenas and stadiums.
The First Four is taking place at UD Arena in Dayton Ohio. The first weekend, (i.e., the first and second rounds), will take place in eight different cities; the second weekend, (i.e. the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight), will take place in four NBA cities. The Final Four and national championship will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona this year.
Here is a full breakdown of which sites and locations will host the NCAA Tournament this year:
First Four:
UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
Rounds 1-2
Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
CHI Health Center (Omaha, Neb.)
PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh)
Delta Center (Salt Lake City)
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane, Wash.)
FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.)
Sweet 16-Elite Eight:
East Region: TD Garden (Boston)
South Region: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
Midwest Region: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit)
West Region: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
Final Four
State Farm Arena (Phoenix)
REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket tracker: Updated list of automatic bids to 2024 NCAA Tournament
Odds to win March Madness 2024
Using BetMGM, UConn is the favorite to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament which would mean the Huskies would be the first team since Florida to repeat as national champions.
Here's a full list of odds for teams to win the national championship (as of Tuesday, March 12):
UConn (+500)
Houston (+600)
Purdue (+700)
Arizona (+1000)
Tennessee (+1200)
North Carolina (+1800)
Auburn (+2000)
Kentucky (+2200)
Duke (+2500)
Kansas (+2500)
Alabama (+2500)
Marquette (+2500)
Iowa State (+2500)
Creighton (+3000)
Illinois (+3000)
Baylor (+3500)
BYU (+5000)
San Diego State (+6000)
Gonzaga (+6000)
Michigan State (+6600)
Saint Mary's (+6600)
NCAA Tournament winners
UConn won its fifth national championship last season, defeating San Diego State 76-59 at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was the first national title under Dan Hurley.
UCLA holds the most national championship titles in the tournament's 85-year history with 11 titles. Rounding out the top five behind the Bruins are Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Indiana and the Huskies.
Here is a full list of how many teams have won the national championship since 1939, the first NCAA Tournament:
1. UCLA: 11
2. Kentucky: Eight
3. North Carolina: Six
T-4. Duke: Five
T-4. Indiana: Five
T-4. Connecticut: Five
7. Kansas: Four
8. Villanova: Three
T-9. Cincinnati: Two
T-9. Florida: Two
T-9. Louisville: Two *
T-9. Michigan State: Two
T-9. N.C. State: Two
T-9. Oklahoma State: Two
T-9. San Francisco: Two
T-16. Arizona: One
T-16. Arkansas: One
T-16. Baylor: One
T-16. California: One
T-16. City College of New York: One
T-16. Georgetown: One
T-16. Holy Cross: One
T-16. La Salle: One
T-16. Loyola Chicago: One
T-16. Marquette: One
T-16. Maryland: One
T-16. Michigan: One
T-16. Ohio State: One
T-16. Oregon: One
T-16. UNLV: One
T-16. Stanford: One
T-16. Syracuse: One
T-16. UTEP: One
T-16. Utah: One
T-16. Utah: One
T-16. Virginia: One
T-16. Wisconsin: One
T-16. Wyoming: One
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 NCAA Tournament schedule, TV channels, streaming, locations, more
