March Madness 2024 is here! Here's what to know and where to get team merch
Let the madness begin.
Credit:
NCAA
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Get ready to watch some b-ball, because March Madness 2024 is finally here! 64 talented teams from across the country will compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball tournament, better known as March Madness. It’s one of the most exciting and popular sports competitions in America.
Whether you’re a longtime March Madness fanatic or a new fan looking to see what all the hubbub is about, here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 season, including who’s playing, how to stream the games and why, exactly, it’s called “March Madness” in the first place.
When is March Madness 2024?
March Madness, as the name implies, takes place mostly in March. This year, it runs from Tuesday, March 19 to Monday, April 8.
What is March Madness?
The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament and the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament, better known as “March Madness,” are a single-elimination (i.e. no loser’s bracket) tournaments of 68 teams competing in seven rounds of games. The second-to-last round is known as “The Final Four.”
Why is it called March Madness?
The term “March Madness” dates back to 1939, but not due to either of the NCAA tournaments. It originates from assistant executive secretary of the Illinois High School Association Henry V. Porter, who, in 1939 said “A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.”
This term would stick for local Illinoisan high school basketball, but it would take until 1982 for it to become associated with the NCAA tournament. CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during his coverage of the tournament, stating that he heard the term from car dealership commercials in the Illinois area.
March Madness 2024 schedule
Men's tournament
First Four: Tuesday, March 19 — Wednesday, March 20
First Round: Thursday, March 21 — Friday, March 22
Second Round: Saturday, March 23 — Sunday, March 24
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 28 — Friday, March 29
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 30 — Sunday, March 31
Final Four: Saturday, April 6
National Championship: Monday, April 8
Women's tournament
First Four: Wednesday, March 20 — Thursday, March 21
First Round: Friday, March 22 — Saturday, March 23
Second Round: Sunday, March 24 — Monday, March 25
Sweet 16: Friday, March 29 — Saturday, March 30
Elite Eight: Sunday, March 31 — Monday, April 1
Final Four: Friday, April 5
National Championship: Sunday, April 7
2024 March Madness teams
Men's tournament
- Stetson Hatters
- Longwood Lancers
- Charleston Cougars
- Oakland Golden Grizzlies
- Drake Bulldogs
- Wagner Seahawks
- Morehead State Eagles
- Colgate Raiders
- Samford Bulldogs
- McNeese State Cowboys
- South Dakota State Jackrabbits
- James Madison Dukes
- Saint Mary's Gaels
- Montana State Bobcats
- Vermont Catamounts
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Auburn Tigers
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Arizona Wildcats
- Houston Cougars
- Howard Bison
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Duke Blue Devils
- Connecticut Huskies
- Creighton Bluejays
- Marquette Golden Eagles
- New Mexico Lobos
- NC State Wolfpack
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
- Saint Peter's Peacocks
- Akron Zips
- Oregon Ducks
- Long Beach State Beach
- Grambling State Tigers
- Grand Canyon Antelopes
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers
- Duquesne Dukes
- Yale Bulldogs
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Florida Atlantic Owls
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Florida Gators
- Colorado Buffaloes
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Utah State Aggies
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Colorado State Rams
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Michigan State Spartans
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Clemson Tigers
- Baylor Bears
- Dayton Flyers
- Nevada Wolf Pack
- BYU Cougars
- Boise State Broncos
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Texas Longhorns
- San Diego State Aztecs
- Washington State Cougars
Women's tournament
- A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Arizona Wildcats
- Auburn Tigers
- Baylor Bears
- California Baptist Lancers
- Chattanooga Mocs
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Columbia Lions
- Creighton Bluejays
- Drake Bulldogs
- Drexel Dragons
- Duke Blue Devils
- Eastern Washington Eagles
- Fairfield Stags
- FGCU Eagles
- Florida State Seminoles
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Green Bay Phoenix
- Holy Cross Crusaders
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Jackson State Tigers
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Kent State Golden Flashes
- Louisville Cardinals
- LSU Tigers
- Maine Black Bears
- Marquette Golden Eagles
- Marshall Thundering Herd
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan Wolverines
- Michigan State Spartans
- Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
- NC State Wolfpack
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Norfolk State Spartans
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Oregon State Beavers
- Portland Pilots
- Presbyterian Blue Hose
- Princeton Tigers
- Rice Owls
- Richmond Spiders
- Sacred Heart Pioneers
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- South Dakota State Jackrabbits
- Southern California Trojans
- Stanford Cardinal
- Syracuse Orange
- Tennessee Lady Volunteers
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas A&M Aggies
- UC Irvine Anteaters
- UCLA Bruins
- UConn Huskies
- UNLV Lady Rebels
- UT Martin Skyhawks
- Utah Utes
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- West Virginia Mountaineers
March Madness 2024 merch to buy right now
Where to stream March Madness 2024
Bring March Madness home with various streaming apps including Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, and ESPN+.
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