From the First Four to the Final Four, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, more commonly referred to as March Madness, takes over March and early April every year, and this one will be no different. A field of 68 teams will be narrowed down to one winner across 3three weeks in matchups spanning all across the country.
The First Four are treated as play-in games to the 64 team tournament and are played on Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament officially starts on Thursday. Four games total are played between the four lowest “at large” teams selected and the four lowest total seeds selected. The First Four will be played in Dayton, Ohio, as it has been since the start of the First Four play-in in 2001. The games will be played in University of Dayton Arena, home of the University of Dayton Flyers basketball team.
The first and second round games are both played at the same locations as teams that win on Thursday, who will then play Saturday in the same locations. And teams that win on Friday will play on Sunday in the same location, thus minimizing travel and making the first weekend as efficient as possible. Brooklyn will host from two sides of the bracket, the East and South; games will be played at the Barclays Center. The Barclays Center was finished in 2012 and is home to the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn provides transportation by bus and subway.
Charlotte, North Carolina, will host from the West and Midwest regions and the games will be played at the Spectrum Center. Home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the arena was finished in 2005 and was renovated in 2016 to reflect a modern vibe.
Indianapolis will host from the South and Midwest regions at the Gainbrage Field House, home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. The arena was built in 1999 and is in the middle of the basketball capital of the world, Indiana.
The following cities will host first round games: Omaha, Nebraska; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; Spokane, Washington; and Memphis, Tennessee. Those arenas are home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively.
Once the field is cut down to 16 teams, regional play will begin, hosting what is commonly known as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in one extended weekend. The East Regional will be hosted in Boston, Massachusetts at TD Garden, the home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics and the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Boston has hosted regional action before, starting in 1999 and most recently in 2018.
The American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, will host the South Regional, home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars. There is certainly history in this arena as it hosted regionals in 2011 and 2016 as well as the Final Four in 2017.
Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, home of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and NBA’s Detroit Pistons will host the Midwest Regional. Detroit has hosted regionals in the past and the city has expressed hope for a Final Four in the near future.
The fourth regional will be held in Los Angeles, California, at Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center. This venue holds the NBA’s LA Lakers and LA Clippers, as well as the NHL’s LA Kings. LA will hold the Final Four in 2029.
The Final Four this year will be hosted in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium will seat upwards of 50 thousand people as it is home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. For the past few seasons the NCAA has elected to host the Final Four in a football stadium to account for high levels of demand. Last year the Final Four contained no first, second, or third seeds for the first time ever. The Final Fourwas held in Houston and received record viewership in both television and stadium attendance.
The NCAA tournament never disappoints, which is how it has gained the name, “Madness.” From the First Four to the Final Four, the tournament is sure to be filled with upsets, buzzer beaters and excitement.
