The NCAA tournament is set to begin, marking the start of March Madness. With 68 teams competing in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the traditional round of 64 has been expanded to include a two-day event known as the First Four. This single-elimination stage features four games played on consecutive days, reducing the number of teams from 68 to 64 for the first round.
The First Four is a result of the NCAA men’s tournament expansion in 2000-01 and again in 2011. The women’s basketball tournament also joined the format in 2021. A committee selects the 68 competing teams, consisting of automatic bids and at-large selections, which will change to 32 automatic bids and 36 at-large selections in 2026.
Historically, two First Four teams have achieved significant success: VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021), both No. 11 seeds who reached the Final Four. Mississippi State became the only First Four team to win a game in the round of 64 in 2023, defeating No. 6 Creighton en route to their tournament run.
As the action unfolds, fans can check out the ESPN men’s college basketball hub page and ESPN women’s college basketball hub page for more coverage and updates.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/43937124/how-does-first-four-work-ncaa-tournament-march-madness