Ayrton Oneill
March Madness is one of the most highly anticipated and watched sporting events of the year, with the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship attracting millions of viewers. The 2025 tournament, featuring 68 teams, concluded with a national championship between No. 1 Houston and No. 1 Florida. Abilene Christian University (ACU) has been a notable participant in the tournament in recent years, with their men's basketball team making consecutive appearances in 2021 and 2022. ACU's success has brought significant financial gains and increased exposure for the small private school from West Texas. With the tournament selection process underway, fans eagerly await the announcement of the 37 best at-large teams to join the 31 automatic qualifiers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 68 |
| Selection criteria | The committee selects the 37 best teams that are not automatic qualifiers for their conference to fill the at-large berths. |
| Committee member criteria | A committee member shall not be present during any discussion regarding the selection or seeding of a team if they have a conflict of interest. |
| Broadcasting channels | CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV |
| Broadcasting rights cost | $891 million annually |
| Tournament branding | "NCAA March Madness" |
| Tournament qualification | Winners of the 31 conference tournaments in men's college basketball automatically qualify for March Madness. |
| 2025 automatic bids | High Point, Omaha, and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville |
| 2021 qualification | Abilene Christian University |
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What You'll Learn
History of ACU in March Madness
Abilene Christian University (ACU) has a history of competing in Division II basketball tournaments. However, they joined Division I basketball in 2013.
ACU made their first appearance in the men's tournament in 2019, where they were defeated by Kentucky by 35 points. They earned an estimated $74 million from this tournament, according to the Fort Worth Telegram.
In 2021, ACU made their second appearance in the men's tournament. They played against UCLA and lost 67-47 in the Round of 32. Their performance in this tournament earned them an estimated $120 million, according to Phil Schubert, who said:
> So far we are close to $120 million plus and we really haven’t had time to tally up the totals.
ACU became the first Southland Conference men's basketball team to play in consecutive NCAA Tournaments since Stephen F. when they appeared in the tournament for the second consecutive time in 2022.
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Qualification criteria for March Madness
March Madness is the common term for the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, a single-elimination tournament played each spring by 68 teams from across the country. The tournament is highly anticipated by millions of sports fans who take part by creating their own bracket predictions.
The Selection, Seeding and Bracketing process for the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship adheres to the following principles: The committee selects the 37 best teams not otherwise automatic qualifiers for their conference to fill the at-large berths. The First Four is the official start to March Madness.
A committee member shall not be present during any discussion regarding the selection or seeding of a team in which a family member is a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team, a member of the coaching staff, or a senior athletics administrator at the institution.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi uses the same data points favored by the committee, including strength of schedule and other season-long indicators, including the NET and team-sheet data similar to what is available to the NCAA, in his projections of the field.
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COVID-19 protocols for the tournament
The NCAA has outlined strict COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, or March Madness, to ensure the event can run smoothly and safely. These protocols are designed to facilitate entry into a "controlled environment" for the tournament.
Firstly, all 34 members of the official travelling party for each team, including players, coaches, and other staff, must produce seven consecutive daily negative COVID-19 tests, with at least one being a PCR test, before travelling to Indianapolis, where the tournament is held. If a member of the party tests positive during that sequence, they will be unable to travel until their isolation or quarantine is complete. Once the teams arrive in Indiana, they will be tested daily.
There are also guidelines for bus travel for teams coming from 350 miles or fewer away. These guidelines mandate masks and face shields and forbid eating or drinking while in transit. Each team will be assigned three buses for their 34-person groups. Teams travelling by charter aircraft will use only private airports, and only the 34 members of the travelling party will be allowed aboard.
In addition to testing and travel protocols, the NCAA will also enforce physical distancing and contact tracing via movement devices. The entire tournament will be held in a bubble, with all teams staying within the bubble to isolate them as much as possible.
The NCAA has also demonstrated that these strict protocols will be enforced consistently. For example, six referees were sent home following one positive test, and five other officials were identified as exposure risks due to prolonged close contact. These officials were also sent home, and the infected official was placed in isolation.
While these protocols are comprehensive, there has been criticism of the enforcement of mask-wearing during games. College basketball coaches have been observed pulling their masks down to yell at referees or players, potentially spreading virus-laden water droplets.
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Tournament schedule and dates
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion. The tournament consists of 68 teams and is mostly played during March. The First Four marks the official start of March Madness.
The 2025 March Madness tournament took place in several cities, including Seattle, Lexington (KY), Providence (RI), and San Francisco. The tournament began on Sunday, March 16, with the bracket revealed at 6 pm ET on CBS. The tournament concluded on Monday, April 7, with Florida beating Houston in the final to win the championship.
The 2025 tournament saw all four No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four for only the second time in the history of the men's NCAA Tournament. Florida and Houston emerged as the finalists after a thrilling Saturday night of basketball that saw the Cougars erase a 14-point deficit over Duke, and the Gators lean on star player Walter Clayton Jr. to defeat Auburn.
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Tournament branding and broadcasting
The NCAA March Madness tournament is a major branding and broadcasting opportunity. CBS has owned the broadcast rights since 1982, with the tournament becoming synonymous with the network's TV production. In 2010, the NCAA signed a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) for the joint broadcast rights to the Division I men's college basketball tournament. Since 2016, rights to the Final Four and championship game have alternated between Turner and CBS.
The tournament is a huge branding opportunity for NCAA Corporate Champions, who benefit from in-game signage and traditional TV advertising. In 2022, it was estimated that brands received over $410 million in media exposure value from telecasts of the men's and women's tournaments. Capital One, for example, was the presenting sponsor for the NCAA's official bracket challenges for both tournaments in 2025. Brands such as Buick, Nissan, and Great Clips have also been involved in NCAA partnerships and sponsorships.
The tournament's broadcast partners have also invested heavily in streaming access for computers and mobile devices, creating a culture where bosses have embraced the disruption and created office camaraderie by endorsing the event. This has helped turn the tournament into a month-long viral brand event, engaging millions of people, from alumni and avid fans to those who hardly watch sports at all.
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Frequently asked questions
March Madness is the single-elimination tournament to determine the men's college basketball national champion of Division I in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
68 teams participate in March Madness, competing in seven rounds.
The Selection Committee selects the teams, ranking them from 1 to 68. Four teams are eliminated in the opening round, leaving 64 teams for the first round.
The March Madness brackets are usually revealed on the Sunday before the tournament begins.
Abilene Christian University (ACU) has previously qualified for March Madness, making consecutive appearances in 2020 and 2021. It is not clear if they will qualify for the 2025 tournament.
