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March Madness 2024 is around the corner, as both the Men’s and Women’s brackets were solidified on Selection Sunday. The most exciting part of the first weekend of the tournament is the upset watch and seeing which blue bloods can fall to a pesky double-digit seed,

Not all major upsets have to happen in the First Round: some of the best and most famous upsets in College Basketball history happen in the Second Round (also known as the March Madness Round of 32).

What is the Second Round in the NCAA Tournament?

The Second Round of the NCAA Tournament is also known as the “Round of 32” and immediately follows the first round -- teams receive just one day off between first and second-round games. It’s been in place since the Men’s bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

If the top seeds win their games, here are what the second-round matchups would be:

  • 1 seed vs 8 seed
  • 2 seed vs 7 seed
  • 3 seed vs 6 seed
  • 4 seed vs 5 seed

March Madness Second Round History

While the second round doesn’t have the same history of wild seed disparities (ex: 16 seeds defeating 1 seed), there are still some historic second-round games. Here are some examples:

  • 2008 March Madness Second Round Men’s: No. 2 seed Georgetown led No. 11 seed Davidson 46-29 with 17:52 remaining. A young PG named Steph Curry exploded for 30 as Davidson triumphed 74-70
  • 2023 Women’s March Madness Second Round: No. 8 seed Ole Miss defeated No. 1 seed Stanford in a low-scoring 53-49 affair. This win opened the door for the Seattle 4 region’s No. 2 seed, Iowa, to make a run to the Final Four (and beyond)
  • 2017 Men’s 2nd Round March Madness: The Duke Blue Devils were a No. 2 in 2017 and featured a roster loaded with talent: Jayson Tatum, Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard, Frank Jackson (#10 ESPN recruit), and Harry Giles III (#1 ESPN recruit). They would fall 88-81 to No. 7 South Carolina, who didn’t have anyone currently active in the NBA on their roster

How does the Second-Round work?

The Second Round is played on the same weekend as the First Round. Teams get one day between games: for example, a team who wins their First Round matchup on Friday will play their Second Round game on Sunday.

The one-day rest rule applies to both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournaments.

What teams participate in the Second Round?

The only teams who participate in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament are those who win their First Round matchup (not including the First Four). Thus, 32 teams compete in the Second Round of both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournament.

2024 March Madness Second-Round Locations

Here are the 2024 March Madness Men’s Second Round locations:

  • Barclays Center: Brooklyn, NY
  • Gainbridge Fieldhouse: Indianapolis, IN
  • FedExForum: Memphis, TE
  • Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena: Spokane, WA
  • Spectrum Center: Charlotte, NC
  • CHI Health Center: Omaha, NE
  • PPG Paint Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Vivint Smart Home Arena: Salt Lake City, UT

Here are the 2024 March Madness Women’s Second Round locations (these are the locations of the higher seeds):

  • Bramlage Coliseum: Manhattan, KA
  • Pete Maravich Assembly Center: Baton Rouge, LA
  • Cassell Coliseum: Blacksburg, VA
  • Value City Arena: Columbus, OH
  • Colonial Life Arena: Columbia, SC
  • Gill Coliseum: Corvallis, OR
  • Moody Center: Austin, TX
  • Maples Pavilion: Stanford, CA
  • Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Iowa City, IA
  • Paul Pavillion: Los Angeles, CA
  • Galen Center: Los Angeles, CA
  • Harry A Gampel Pavilion: Storrs, CA
  • Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Bloomington, IN
  • Purcell Pavilion: Notre Dame, IN
  • McCarthey Athletic CenterL Spokane WA
  • Reynold Coliseum: Raleigh, NC

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