Selection Sunday: Bracket Set
Selection Sunday unveiled the 68‑team NCAA men’s field on March 15 — the First Four tips Tuesday, March 17, with Round 1 starting Thursday, March 19; printable brackets and full schedules are live Sporting News Florida Today. Thirty-one auto bids have been locked as conference tournaments wrapped — the field is set and seeding debates are underway NCAA.com.
Bracketology coalesced around Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida as the four No. 1 seeds heading into the reveal, with several major outlets listing that quartet atop the field. sportingnews.com Arizona punched its automatic bid by winning the Big 12 tournament over Houston, securing the Wildcats’ conference crown. ncaa.com Duke claimed the ACC tournament title with a 74‑70 win over Virginia, a result that cemented its seeding profile. theacc.com The bubble picture that Selection Sunday settled included Sporting News’ “Last Four In” projections — UCF, Texas, SMU and Missouri — while teams such as San Diego State were listed among the First Four‑out in pre‑show brackets. sportingnews.com The play‑in First Four will be staged in Dayton’s UD Arena, where eight teams will play for four spots in the 64‑team bracket; those games determine which lower‑seeded entries advance to the main draw. espn.com With the field finalized, the selection process leaves 37 at‑large bids to the committee’s discretion this year, and the tournament’s Final Four and national championship are set for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in early April. en.wikipedia.org
