The NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, is one of the most exciting sporting events of the year. Every March, 68 college basketball teams compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion. But how are these teams selected? Let’s dive into the selection process and take a closer look at how Selection Sunday works.

What is Selection Sunday?

The Selection Sunday Show is the day when the NCAA tournament selection committee announces the 68 teams that have been selected to compete in the tournament.

The selection process is based on a variety of factors, including a team's record, strength of schedule, quality wins, and advanced statistical metrics. Once the teams are selected, they are seeded based on their overall strength, and the matchups are determined by the selection committee.

When is March Madness Selection Sunday?

This day typically falls on the second Sunday in March. It is eagerly anticipated by college basketball fans across the country. This year Selection Sunday is on March 17, 2024.

What time is Selection Sunday?

This year’s March Madness Selection Sunday begins at 6p.m. ET live on CBS and streams on March Madness Live, Hulu and Paramount+. The NCAA Selection Show reveals the women and men’s NCAA bracket.

Who is on the NCAA Selection Committee?

The selection committee is made up of 12 members, including athletic directors and conference commissioners from various Division I conference. These individuals are selected by the NCAA to serve on the committee for a five-year term.

Here is the current men's committe members. 

The selection process begins with all 353 Division I basketball teams being evaluated by the committee. The committee considers a variety of factors when making its selections, including a team's record, strength of schedule, quality wins, and advanced statistical metrics.

How are the college basketball teams selected? The selection process begins with all 353 Division I basketball teams being evaluated by the committee. The committee considers a variety of factors when making its selections, including a team's record, strength of schedule, quality wins, and advanced statistical metrics.

Record

The committee looks at a team's overall record, as well as its conference record, to determine its level of success throughout the season.

Strenght of Schedule

Strength of schedule is an important factor in the selection process. The committee looks at the difficulty of each team's schedule, including the quality of opponents they faced and the location of those games.

Quality Wins

The committee also looks at a team's quality wins. These are wins against other highly-ranked teams, which indicate a team's ability to compete against top competition.

Advanced Metrics

Finally, the committee looks at advanced statistical metrics, such as the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool), to further evaluate each team's performance.

How are teams seeded?

Once the 68 teams have been selected, they are seeded 1-68 based on their overall strength. The top four teams in each region are given a 1 to 4 seed, while the remaining teams are seeded 5 through 16 based on their overall strength.

What is the First Four?

In 2011, the NCAA added four play-in games to the tournament, which are now known as the March Madness First Four. The four lowest-ranked teams in the tournament play these games for a chance to advance to the main bracket. The winners of these games are seeded 16th in their respective region and go on to play the top-ranked team in their next games.

How are the March Madness matchups determined?

Once the teams have been seeded, the committee determines the matchups for each game. In the first round, each region has 16 teams, and matchups are determined based on the seedings. For example, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 16 seed, the No. 2 seed plays the No. 15 seed, and so on.

The tournament is always full of surprises, but insight into the selection process can give fans a better understanding of how their favorite teams made it to the big dance.

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