March Madness 101: NCAA tournament format, history, facts - ESPN

IT'S MARCH, and the madness begins Tuesday with the First Four men's games. As we buckle up for college basketball chaos and buzzer-beater glory, we have everything to prepare you for the men's and women's NCAA tournaments. From where the term «March Madness» originated — the answer might surprise you — to how teams are seeded, how to fill out a bracket, and more, we have everything to prepare for the Big Dance.

How are teams selected for the tournaments?

Thirty-one teams automatically qualify by winning their respective postseason conference tournament. The remaining 37 teams must earn an at-large bid, determined by the selection committee. (What's the selection committee? We'll come back to this later. )

What is the First Four?

The first four elimination games cut down the number of teams from 68 to 64 for the first round. The men's First Four games will air on truTV on March 17-18, and the women play March 18-19 on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ABC.

What is Selection Sunday?

The 68-team field and seeds for the men's and women's tournaments were revealed on March 15.

What is the Sweet 16? What about the Elite Eight? Or the Final Four?

Teams that advance past the first two rounds of the tournament enter the regional semifinals, also known as the Sweet 16, when the field has been reduced from 68 teams to 16. The next round, the regional finals, is called the Elite Eight. Then, it's on to the Final Four, where schools are just two wins from a championship. Here are the dates for the key rounds:

Men's Sweet 16: March 26-27

Men's Elite Eight: March 28-29

Men's Final Four: April 4

Men's championship: April 6

Women's Sweet 16: March 27-28

Women's Elite Eight: March 29-30

Women's Final Four: April 3

Women's championship: April