The NCAA Basketball Tournament is one of the most watched and awaited sports events statewide that creates an incredible frenzy amongst the fans. Most of the nation turns to basketball when the NCAA tournament starts.
The tourney is conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which creates the rules for the 1,200-odd participating colleges and university members. Of 1,200 colleges and universities, 1,006 are active members that can participate in the NCAA tournament.
Colleges are arranged into three divisions. Division I is the colleges that sponsor seven or more sports each for men and women, or six for men and eight for women, with two team sports for each gender. Division II colleges must sponsor at least four sports each for men and women, with two team sports for each gender. Division III sponsors at least five sports each for men and women, with two team sports for each gender. The NCAA also decides how many basketball matches each member must play in its Division.
Division 1 tournaments grab the most public attention due to the winners of this tournament qualifying for March Madness. The NCAA has elaborate rules for selecting 64 women’s teams and 65 men’s teams that qualify.
Thirty-one teams, from both the men’s and women’s division, get automatic entries, because they are the winners of their conferences. The remaining teams, 34 for men and 33 for women, are chosen by a selection committee. The nation waits with bated breath to hear the names of these teams that will be announced on television.
The 64 teams are divided into four geographical regions, and seeded according to performance in the elimination tournament. The team that is seeded one is the best is its group, while the team that is seeded 16 is considered the weakest in that group. Generally, the teams perform according to their seeding. But sometimes, a low-seeded team may create an upset. Such a team then gets to be known as the tourney Cinderella.
The tourney itself is played over a period of three weeks, beginning usually on the third Thursday of March. The first two days have packed schedules, and as many as 32 teams make an exit. The excitement continues over the next two days when the teams are reduced to Sweet 16. A four-day break ensues for the next round that leaves the top four or the Final Four to battle for the crown.
The tourney winners are crowned college basketball champions, and go on to become the toast of the nation.
Brian Bailey
.
The tourney is conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which creates the rules for the 1,200-odd participating colleges and university members. Of 1,200 colleges and universities, 1,006 are active members that can participate in the NCAA tournament.
Colleges are arranged into three divisions. Division I is the colleges that sponsor seven or more sports each for men and women, or six for men and eight for women, with two team sports for each gender. Division II colleges must sponsor at least four sports each for men and women, with two team sports for each gender. Division III sponsors at least five sports each for men and women, with two team sports for each gender. The NCAA also decides how many basketball matches each member must play in its Division.
Division 1 tournaments grab the most public attention due to the winners of this tournament qualifying for March Madness. The NCAA has elaborate rules for selecting 64 women’s teams and 65 men’s teams that qualify.
Thirty-one teams, from both the men’s and women’s division, get automatic entries, because they are the winners of their conferences. The remaining teams, 34 for men and 33 for women, are chosen by a selection committee. The nation waits with bated breath to hear the names of these teams that will be announced on television.
The 64 teams are divided into four geographical regions, and seeded according to performance in the elimination tournament. The team that is seeded one is the best is its group, while the team that is seeded 16 is considered the weakest in that group. Generally, the teams perform according to their seeding. But sometimes, a low-seeded team may create an upset. Such a team then gets to be known as the tourney Cinderella.
The tourney itself is played over a period of three weeks, beginning usually on the third Thursday of March. The first two days have packed schedules, and as many as 32 teams make an exit. The excitement continues over the next two days when the teams are reduced to Sweet 16. A four-day break ensues for the next round that leaves the top four or the Final Four to battle for the crown.
The tourney winners are crowned college basketball champions, and go on to become the toast of the nation.
Brian Bailey
.
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