It’s that time of year again. March Madness has arrived! We had some surprises from the likes of Oregon, Duquesne and NC State while some of the favourites didn’t fulfil the expectations laid upon them, some unable to take their respective conference titles. Looking at you Purdue and Houston. So, to all those 68 teams who are now in place, and thoughts on just how to complete the perfect bracket. Before we get into, though, let’s break down how it all works.
How is the NCAA Tournament field filled?
To be clear, there are two ways to for the NCAA’s big party: you’ve either got to win your conference tournament, which means you get an automatic bid, or you receive an ‘at-large’ bid. This latter one sees the selection committee decide which 36 teams, not automatic qualifiers, deserve invitations based on their performance throughout the season. Any eligible Division I team can be chosen for an at-large bid. It should also be said that there is some fine print involved, for example, you can’t qualify if you’ve been sanctioned or are moving between divisions.