I was not going to cover the 2024 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament. I have not covered it before and it usually flys under my radar unless the Nevada Wolf Pack are in it. Even then I tend to only watch the Wolf Pack games. Anyway, March Madness starts today with the First Four. The 2024 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament will include sixty eight teams. The entire tournament is single elimination. Games will be held at various venues. All of the conference tournament champions qualified automatically. The rest of the teams were picked by the (totally not bias) selection committee. The Tournament will end on April 8th with the National Championship game.
Each year the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament has unique branding centered around the final four. The 2024 branding has a southwest theme. The main logo is in the shape of Arizona. Inside of the shape is the event name and location. The logo incorporates the NCAA logo. IT also incorporates southwestern design elements. It is definitely a ten out of ten event logo. It is definitely a contender for the best Final Four logo ever.
The bracket is broken down into five smaller brackets. There is the east, west, north, south brackets, and the Final Four bracket. The Final Four will all take place in Phoenix. March Madness has seven rounds. The First Four is a wildcard round with four games. The winners move on to one of the regional brackets. Then it will be the First Round with sixty four teams. The thirty eight winners move on to the Second Round. The sixteen winners of the Second Round move on to the Sweet 16. The eight winners of the Sweet Sixteen move on to the Elite Eight. The four winners from the Elite Eight play in the Final Four. The last two remaining teams play in the National Championship game. The First Four is today and tomorrow. The First Round is March 21st and 22nd. The Second Round is March 23rd and 24th. The Sweet Sixteen is March 28th and 29th. The Elite Eight is March 30th and 31st. The Final Four is April 6th. The National Championship game is on April 8th.
#16 Wagner vs #16 Howard. Wagner has a record of 16-15 including going 7-9 in conference games. Wagner is from the Northeast Conference. They won the NEC Tournament. Wagner are the only NEC team in the tournament. This is Wagner’s second appearance in March Madness. They also appeared in the tournament in 2003. Howard has a record of 18-16 including going 9-5 in conference play. Howard is from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They won the MEAC Tournament. Howard are the only MEAC team in the tournament. This is Howard’s fourth March Madness appearance. Their last appearance was in 2023. Howard is favored to win.
#10 Colorado State vs #10 Virginia. Virginia has a record of 23-10 including going 13-7 in conference games. Virginia is from the Atlantic Coast Conference. They lost in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Virginia are the one of five ACC teams in March Madness. This is Virginia’s twenty sixth appearance in March Madness. Their last appearance in the tournament was in 2003. Colorado State has a record of 24-10 including going 10-8 in conference play. Colorado State is from the Mountain West Conference. They lost in the semifinals of the MW Tournament. Colorado State are one of six MW teams in March Madness. This is Colorado State twelfth March Madness appearance. Their last appearance was in 2022. Colorado State is favored to win.
#16 Grambling vs #16 Montana State. Grambling has a record of 20-14 including going 14-4 in conference games. Grambling is from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They won the SWAC Tournament. Grambling are the only SWAC team in March Madness. This is Grambling’s fist appearance in March Madness. Their last appearance in the tournament was in 2023. Montana State has a record of 17-17 including going 9-9 in conference play. Montana State is from the Big Sky Conference. They won the Big Sky Tournament. Montana State are the only Big Sky team in March Madness. This is Montana State’s sixth March Madness appearance. Their last appearance was in 2023. Montana State is favored to win.
#10 Boise State vs #10 Colorado. Boise State has a record of 22-10 including going 13-5 in conference games. Boise State is from the Mountain West Conference. They lost in the quarterfinals of the the MW Tournament. Boise State are one of six MW teams in March Madness. This is Boise State’s tenth appearance in March Madness. Their last appearance in the tournament was in 2023. Colorado has a record of 24-10 including going 13-7 in conference play. Colorado is from the Pac-12 Conference. They lost in the championship of the Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado are one of four Pac-12 teams in March Madness. This is Colorado’s fifteenth March Madness appearance. Their last appearance was in 2021. Colorado is favored to win.
#1 UConn – UConn are ranked number one in the country. They have a record of 31-1. They won the Big East Conference tournament. This is their 37th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #16 Stenson.
#16 Stetson – Stetson have a record of 22-12. They won the ASUN Conference tournament. This is their first appearance. They will open up their tournament against #1 UConn.
#8 Florida Atlantic – Florida Atlantic have a record of 25-8. They lost in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament. This is their 3rd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #9 Northwestern.
#9 Northwestern – Northwestern have a record of 21-11. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 3rd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #8 Florida Atlantic.
#5 San Diego State – San Diego State are ranked number twenty five in the country. They have a record of 24-10. They lost in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament. This is their 16th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #12 UAB.
#12 UAB – UAB have a record of 23-11. They won the American Athletic Conference tournament. This is their 17th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #5 San Diego state.
#4 Auburn – Auburn are ranked number seven in the country. They have a record of 27-7. They won the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 13th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #13 Yale.
#13 Yale – Yale have a record of 22-9. They won the Ivy League tournament. This is their 7th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #4 Auburn.
#6 BYU – BYU are ranked number twenty one in the country. They have a record of 23-10. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 31st appearance. They will open up their tournament against #11 Duquesne.
#11 Duquesne – Duquesne have a record of 24-11. They won the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. This is their 6th appearance and first since 1977. They will open up their tournament against #6 BYU.
#3 Illinois – Illinois are ranked number ten in the country. They have a record of 26-8. They won the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 20th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #14 Morehead State.
#14 Morehead State – Morehead State have a record of 26-8. They won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. This is their 9th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #3 Illinois.
#7 Washington State – Washington State are ranked number twenty five in the country. They have a record of 24-9. They lost in semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference tournament. This is their 7th appearance and first since 2008. They will open up their tournament against #10 Drake.
#10 Drake – Drake have a record of 28-6. They won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. This is their 7th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #7 Washington.
#2 Iowa Sate – Iowa State are ranked number four in the country. They have a record of 27-7. They won the big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 23rd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #15 South Dakota State.
#15 South Dakota State – South Dakota State have a record of 22-12. They won the Summit League tournament. This is their 7th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #2 Iowa State.
#1 North Carolina – North Carolina are ranked number five in the country. They have a record of 27-7. They lost in the championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. This is their 58th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #16 which will be either Howard or Wagner.
#8 Mississippi State – Mississippi State have a record of 21-13. They lost in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 13th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #9 Michigan State.
#9 Michigan State – Michigan State have a record of 19-14. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 37th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #8 Mississippi State.
#5 Saint Mary’s – Saint Mary’s are ranked number fifteen in the country. They have a record of 26-7. They won the West Coast Conference tournament. This is their 13th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #12 Grand Canyon.
#12 Grand Canyon – Grand Canyon have a record of 29-4. They won the Western Athletic Conference tournament. This is their 3rd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #5 Saint Mary’s.
#4 Alabama – Alabama are ranked number eighteen in the country. They have a record of 21-11. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 25th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #13 Charleston.
#13 Charleston – Charleston have a record of 27-7. They won the Coastal Athletic Association tournament. This is their 7th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #4 Alabama.
#6 Clemson – Clemson have a record of 21-11. They lost in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. This is their 14th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #11 New Mexico.
#11 New Mexico – New Mexico have a record of 26-9. They won the Mountain West Conference tournament. This is their 16th appearance and first since 2014. They will open up their tournament against #6 Clemson.
#3 Baylor – Baylor are ranked number thirteen in the country. They have a record of 23-10. They lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 16th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #14 Colgate.
#14 Colgate – Colgate have a record of 25-9. They won the Patriot League Conference tournament. This is their 7th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #3 Baylor.
#7 Dayton – Washington State have a record of 24-7. They lost in quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. This is their 19th appearance and first since 2017. They will open up their tournament against #10 Nevada.
#10 Nevada – Nevada have a record of 26-7. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. This is their 11th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #7 Dayton.
#2 Arizona – Arizona are ranked number ninth in the country. They have a record of 25-8. They lost in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference tournament. This is their 38th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #15 Long Beach state.
#15 Long Beach State – Long Beach State have a record of 21-14. They won the Big West Conference tournament. This is their 10th appearance and first since 2012. They will open up their tournament against #2 Arizona.
#1 Houston – Houston are ranked number two in the country. They have a record of 30-4. They lost in championship game of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 25th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #16 Longwood.
#16 Longwood – Longwood have a record of 21-13. They won the Big South Conference tournament. This is their 2nd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #1 Houston.
#8 Nebraska – Nebraska have a record of 23-10. They lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 8th appearance and first since 2014. They will open up their tournament against #9 Texas A&M.
#9 Texas A&M – Texas A&M have a record of 20-14. They lost in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 16th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #8 Nebraska.
#5 Wisconsin – Wisconsin are ranked number twenty four in the country. They have a record of 22-13. They lost in the championship game of the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 18th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #12 James Madison.
#12 James Madison – James Madison have a record of 31-3. They won the Sun Belt Conference tournament. This is their 6th appearance and first since 2013. They will open up their tournament against #5 Wisconsin.
#4 Duke – Duke are ranked number fourteen in the country. They have a record of 24-8. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. This is their 46th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #13 Vermont.
#13 Vermont – Vermont have a record of 28-6. They won the American East Conference tournament. This is their 10th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #4 Duke.
#6 Texas Tech – Texas Tech are ranked number twenty two in the country. They have a record of 23-10. They lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 18th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #11 NC State.
#11 NC State – NC State have a record of 22-14. They won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. This is their 29th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #6 Texas Tech.
#3 Kentucky – Kentucky are ranked number tweleve in the country. They have a record of 23-9. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 62nd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #14 Oakland.
#14 Oakland – Oakland State have a record of 23-11. They won the Horizon League tournament. This is their 4th appearance and first since 20011. They will open up their tournament against #3 Kentucky.
#7 Florida – Florida are ranked number twenty three in the country. They have a record of 24-11. They lost in championship game of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 24th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #10 Boise State or Colorado.
#2 Marquette – Marquette are ranked number eight in the country. They have a record of 25-9. They lost in final of the Big East Conference tournament. This is their 36th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #15 Western Kentucky.
#15 Western Kentucky – Western Kentucky have a record of 22-11. They won the Conference USA tournament. This is their 24th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #2 Marquette.
#1 Purdue – Purdue are ranked number three in the country. They have a record of 29-4. They lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is their 35th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #16 Montana State or Grambling State.
#8 Utah State – Utah State are ranked nineteen in the country. They have a record of 27-6. They lost in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. This is their 24th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #9 TCU.
#9 TCU – TCU have a record of 21-12. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 11th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #8 Utah State.
#5 Gonzaga – Gonzaga State are ranked sixteen in the country. They have a record of 25-7. They lost in the championship game of the West Coast Conference tournament. This is their 26th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #12 McNeese.
#12 McNeese – McNesse have a record of 30-3. They won the Southland Conference tournament. This is their 3rd appearance and first since 2002. They will open up their tournament against #5 Gonzaga.
#4 Kansas – Kansas are ranked number twenty in the country. They have a record of 22-10. They lost in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 52nd appearance. They will open up their tournament against #13 Samford.
#13 Samford – Samford have a record of 29-5. They won the Southern Conference tournament. This is their 3rd appearance and first since 2000. They will open up their tournament against #4 Kansas.
#6 South Carolina – South Carolina are ranked number seventeen one in the country. They have a record of 26-7. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 10th appearance and first since 2017. They will open up their tournament against #11 Oregon.
#11 Oregon – Oregon have a record of 23-11. They won the Pac-12 Conference tournament. This is their 18th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #6 South Carolina.
#3 Creighton – Creighton are ranked number eleven in the country. They have a record of 23-9. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament. This is their 26th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #14 Akron.
#14 Morehead State – Morehead State have a record of 24-10. They won the Mid-American Conference tournament. This is their 6th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #3 Creighton.
#7 Texas – Texas have a record of 20-12. They lost in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament. This is their 38th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #10 Virginia or Colorado State.
#2 Tennessee – Tennessee are ranked number six in the country. They have a record of 24-8. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. This is their 26th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #15 Saint Peter’s.
#15 Saint Peter’s – Saint Peter’s have a record of 19-13. They won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. This is their 5th appearance. They will open up their tournament against #2 Tennessee.
Zac Electrifly 
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