Teams | 68 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finals site | Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||
Champions | Kentucky Wildcats (8th title, 11th title game, 15th Final Four) | ||||
Runner-up | Kansas Jayhawks (9th title game, 14th Final Four) | ||||
Semifinalists |
| ||||
Winning coach | John Calipari (1st title) | ||||
MOP | Anthony Davis (Kentucky) | ||||
|
The 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2011-12 season. The 74th edition of the tournament began on March 13, 2012, and concluded with the championship game on April 2, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The Final Four consisted of Kentucky, making their second appearance in the Final Four under John Calipari, Louisville, making their second appearance under Rick Pitino and first since 2005, Kansas, making their first appearance since winning the 2008 national championship under head coach Bill Self by defeating Calipari's Memphis team, and Ohio State, making their first appearance since their runner-up finish in 2007 and second under coach Thad Matta. This was the first (and only) tournament that both national semifinals and the national championship game were regular season rematches. [1] Kentucky defeated Kansas in the championship game 67–59 to win their first national championship since Tubby Smith led the team there in 1998. This was Calipari's first national championship in four trips to the Final Four, having previously gone there with Kentucky in 2011, Memphis in 2008 and Massachusetts in 1996.
Upsets were once again the story of the tournament in 2012, and for the first time ever two #15 seeds won in the same tournament. In the South Region, #15 Lehigh of the Patriot League defeated #2 Duke. In the West Region, #15 Norfolk State of the MEAC, making their first ever NCAA tournament appearance, defeated #2 Missouri as a 21.5 point underdog, the second biggest upset in terms of point spread in NCAA tournament history, behind Fairleigh Dickinson's defeat of Purdue in 2023, where Purdue was a 23.5 point favorite.
In addition to this, Ohio won a game as a double digit seed for the second time in four tournaments as the #13 seed Bobcats defeated #4 seed Michigan to advance to the third round of the Midwest Region. A team from the First Four games also won in the Round of 64 for the second consecutive year as South Florida defeated Midwest #5 seed Temple, setting up a #12 vs. #13 matchup that Ohio won.
Virginia Commonwealth, a Final Four team from 2011 as an #11 seed, made the 2012 tournament as a #12 seed and once again made the round of 32 by defeating South #5 seed Wichita State. The South Region saw four double digit seeds win in their opening games, as Colorado and Xavier joined VCU and Lehigh as victors. Xavier advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where they were defeated by Baylor.
Despite the upsets, all four top seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2009. Three made it to the Elite Eight, as only Michigan State of the West Region lost. Kentucky was the only one to advance to the Final Four as Syracuse and North Carolina lost in their regional finals. This would end up being the last Final Four until 2019 that did not include at least one team seeded #7 or higher, and still is the last Final Four to not include at least one team seeded #5 or higher as of the conclusion of the 2024 season. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Two teams made their first NCAA tournament appearances in school history: MEAC champion Norfolk State and Summit League champion South Dakota State. Ivy League champion Harvard made its first appearance since 1946, ending the longest tournament drought in NCAA history.
All four teams from the state of Ohio (Cincinnati, Ohio, Ohio State, and Xavier) made it to the Sweet 16, marking the first time in tournament history any state has been represented by four teams in the round of 16. [13] This tournament was also the first tournament since 1985 to feature no teams in the Sweet 16 from the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones.
A total of 68 teams entered the tournament. Thirty out of 31 automatic bids were given to the teams that won their conference tournament. The remaining automatic bid was awarded to the Ivy League regular season champion since they do not hold a conference tournament. The remaining 37 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee on March 11.
Eight teams (the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four. The winners of those games advanced to the main tournament bracket.
For the first time ever, the Selection Committee publicly disclosed the overall rankings for each team, which are listed below. [14]
The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2012 tournament: [15] [16]
First Four
First and Second rounds
Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
New Orleans hosted the Final Four for the fifth time, having previously hosted in 2003.
The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2012 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's tournament (except for the Ivy League, whose regular-season champion received the automatic bid).
Conference | School | Appearance | Last bid |
---|---|---|---|
America East | Vermont | 5th | 2010 |
Atlantic 10 | St. Bonaventure | 6th | 2000 |
ACC | Florida State | 14th | 2011 |
Atlantic Sun | Belmont | 5th | 2011 |
Big 12 | Missouri | 25th | 2011 |
Big East | Louisville | 38th | 2011 |
Big Sky | Montana | 9th | 2010 |
Big South | UNC Asheville | 3rd | 2011 |
Big Ten | Michigan State | 26th | 2011 |
Big West | Long Beach State | 6th | 2007 |
Colonial | VCU | 12th | 2011 |
C-USA | Memphis | 24th | 2011 |
Horizon | Detroit | 6th | 1999 |
Ivy League | Harvard | 2nd | 1946 |
MAAC | Loyola (MD) | 2nd | 1994 |
MAC | Ohio | 12th | 2010 |
MEAC | Norfolk State | 1st | Never |
Missouri Valley | Creighton | 17th | 2007 |
Mountain West | New Mexico | 13th | 2010 |
Northeast | Long Island | 5th | 2011 |
Ohio Valley | Murray State | 15th | 2010 |
Pac-12 | Colorado | 11th | 2003 |
Patriot | Lehigh | 5th | 2010 |
SEC | Vanderbilt | 13th | 2011 |
Southern | Davidson | 11th | 2008 |
Southland | Lamar | 6th | 2000 |
SWAC | Mississippi Valley State | 5th | 2008 |
Summit | South Dakota State | 1st | Never |
Sun Belt | Western Kentucky | 22nd | 2009 |
West Coast | Saint Mary's | 7th | 2010 |
WAC | New Mexico State | 19th | 2010 |
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*See First Four.
Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-04)
The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.
South #16 seed March 13 | ||||
16 | Mississippi Valley State | 58 | ||
16 | Western Kentucky | 59 |
Midwest #12 seed March 14 | ||||
12 | California | 54 | ||
12 | South Florida | 65 |
Both games on March 13 saw historic comebacks:
In addition, the March 13 session was notable for the attendance of Barack Obama, president of the United States, and David Cameron, prime minister of Great Britain. Cameron was in the U.S. for bilateral political and economic talks with Obama.
First round March 15–16 | Second round March 17–18 | Regional semifinals March 23 | Regional finals March 25 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Kentucky | 81 | |||||||||||||||||
16 | Western Kentucky | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Kentucky | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
Louisville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Iowa State | 71 | |||||||||||||||||
8 | Iowa State | 77 | |||||||||||||||||
9 | Connecticut | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Kentucky | 102 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Indiana | 90 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Wichita State | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | VCU | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | VCU | 61 | |||||||||||||||||
Portland – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Indiana | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Indiana | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
13 | New Mexico State | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Kentucky | 82 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Baylor | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | UNLV | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | Colorado | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | Colorado | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Baylor | 80 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Baylor | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
14 | South Dakota State | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Baylor | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Xavier | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Notre Dame | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Xavier | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Xavier | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
Greensboro – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | Lehigh | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Duke | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
15 | Lehigh | 75 |
Regional all-tournament team: Quincy Acy , Baylor; Anthony Davis , Kentucky; Doron Lamb , Kentucky; Christian Watford , Indiana. [19]
Regional most outstanding player: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist , Kentucky [19]
First round March 15–16 | Second round March 17–18 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional finals March 24 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan State | 89 | |||||||||||||||||
16 | Long Island | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan State | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
Columbus – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | Saint Louis | 61 | |||||||||||||||||
8 | Memphis | 54 | |||||||||||||||||
9 | Saint Louis | 61 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan State | 44 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Louisville# | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | New Mexico | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | Long Beach State | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | New Mexico | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
Portland – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Louisville# | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Louisville# | 69 | |||||||||||||||||
13 | Davidson | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Louisville# | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Murray State | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | Colorado State | 41 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Murray State | 53 | |||||||||||||||||
Louisville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Marquette | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Marquette | 88 | |||||||||||||||||
14 | BYU | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Marquette | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 71 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Virginia | 45 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 84 | |||||||||||||||||
Omaha – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | Norfolk State | 50 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Missouri | 84 | |||||||||||||||||
15 | Norfolk State | 86 |
Regional all-tournament team: Bradley Beal , Florida; Gorgui Dieng , Louisville; Draymond Green , Michigan State; Peyton Siva , Louisville. [20]
Regional most outstanding player: Chane Behanan , Louisville [20]
First round March 15–16 | Second round March 17–18 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional finals March 24 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Syracuse | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
16 | UNC Asheville | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Syracuse | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Kansas State | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
8 | Kansas State | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
9 | Southern Miss | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Syracuse | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Wisconsin | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Vanderbilt | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | Harvard | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Vanderbilt | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Wisconsin | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Wisconsin | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
13 | Montana | 49 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Syracuse | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Ohio State | 77 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Cincinnati | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | Texas | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Cincinnati | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
Nashville – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Florida State | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Florida State | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
14 | St. Bonaventure | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Cincinnati | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Ohio State | 81 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Gonzaga | 77 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | West Virginia | 54 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Gonzaga | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Ohio State | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Ohio State | 78 | |||||||||||||||||
15 | Loyola (MD) | 59 |
Regional all-tournament team: Scoop Jardine , Syracuse; Lenzelle Smith, Jr. , Ohio State; Jordan Taylor , Wisconsin; Deshaun Thomas , Ohio State. [21]
Regional most outstanding player: Jared Sullinger , Ohio State [21]
First round March 16 | Second round March 18 | Regional semifinals March 23 | Regional finals March 25 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | North Carolina | 77 | |||||||||||||||||
16 | Vermont | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | North Carolina | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
Greensboro – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Creighton | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
8 | Creighton | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
9 | Alabama | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | North Carolina | 73OT | |||||||||||||||||
13 | Ohio | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Temple | 44 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | South Florida | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
12 | South Florida | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
Nashville – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | Ohio | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Michigan | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
13 | Ohio | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | North Carolina | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Kansas | 80 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | San Diego State | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | NC State | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | NC State | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
Columbus – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Georgetown | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Georgetown | 74 | |||||||||||||||||
14 | Belmont | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
11 | NC State | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Kansas | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Saint Mary's | 69 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Purdue | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Purdue | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
Omaha – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Kansas | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Kansas | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
15 | Detroit | 50 |
Regional all-tournament team: Walter Offutt, Ohio; Tyshawn Taylor , Kansas; Jeff Withey , Kansas; Tyler Zeller , North Carolina. [22]
Regional most outstanding player: Thomas Robinson , Kansas [22]
National Semifinals Final Four Saturday, March 31 | National championship game Monday, April 2 | ||||||||
S1 | Kentucky | 69 | |||||||
W4 | Louisville# | 61 | |||||||
S1 | Kentucky | 67 | |||||||
MW2 | Kansas | 59 | |||||||
E2 | Ohio State | 62 | |||||||
MW2 | Kansas | 64 |
# — On February 20, 2018, the NCAA announced that the wins and records for the 2011–12 season and Louisville's 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 seasons were vacated due to the sex scandal at Louisville. [23] Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Louisville removing the wins from its own record.
Final Four all-tournament team: [24] Anthony Davis, Kentucky; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky; Doron Lamb, Kentucky; Thomas Robinson, Kansas; Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas
Final Four most outstanding player: [24] Anthony Davis, Kentucky
CBS |
March 31 6:09 pm |
#W4 | ||
Scoring by half: 28–35, 33–34 | ||
Pts: P. Siva 11 Rebs: G. Dieng 12 Asts: P. Siva 3 | Pts: A. Davis 18 Rebs: A. Davis 14 Asts: M. Teague 5 |
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA Attendance: 73,361 Referees: Les Jones, Doug Shows, Joe DeRosa |
CBS |
March 31 9:05 pm |
#E2 Ohio State Buckeyes 62, #MW2 Kansas Jayhawks64 | ||
Scoring by half:34–25, 28–39 | ||
Pts: W. Buford 19 Rebs: J. Sullinger 11 Asts: A. Craft 3 | Pts: T. Robinson 18 Rebs: E. Johnson 10 Asts: T. Taylor 9 |
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA Attendance: 73,361 Referees: Jamie Luckie, Tom Eades, Patrick Adams |
CBS |
April 2 9:23 pm |
Kansas Jayhawks 59, Kentucky Wildcats67 | ||
Scoring by half: 27–41, 32–26 | ||
Pts: T. Taylor 19 Rebs: T. Robinson 17 Asts: T. Taylor 3 | Pts: D. Lamb 22 Rebs: A. Davis 16 Asts: A. Davis 5 |
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA Attendance: 70,913 Referees: Verne Harris, Mark Whitehead, Mike Stuart |
Conference | # of Bids | Record | Win % | R64 | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CG | NC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEC | 4 | 10–3 | .769 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Big 12 | 6 | 10–6 | .625 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
Big Ten | 6 | 11–6 | .647 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
Big East | 9 | 14–9 | .609 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
ACC | 5 | 6–5 | .545 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
Atlantic 10 | 4 | 3–4 | .429 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
MAC | 1 | 2–1 | .667 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – |
Mountain West | 4 | 1–4 | .200 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
WCC | 3 | 2–3 | .400 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
MVC | 2 | 1–2 | .333 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
CAA | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
MEAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
OVC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
Patriot | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
Pac-12 | 2 | 1–2 | .333 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
C-USA | 2 | 0–2 | .000 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
MAAC | 2 | 0–2 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
America East | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Sun Belt | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Atlantic Sun | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big Sky | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big South | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big West | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Horizon | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Ivy | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
NEC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Southern | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Summit | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
WAC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Southland | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
SWAC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
2012 marked the second year of a 14-year partnership between CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting cable networks TBS, TNT and truTV to cover the entire tournament under the NCAA March Madness banner. CBS aired the Final Four and championship rounds for the 31st consecutive year.
Dial Global Sports (formerly Westwood One [32] ) and SiriusXM have live broadcasts of all 67 games. [33]
All tournament sites continued to use the uniform courts that were first introduced tournament-wide in 2010, except for a slight variation at the East Regionals in Boston at the TD Garden, where a parquet floor court pattern similar to that used by the hometown Boston Celtics was used.
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division I level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Played mostly during March, the tournament consists of 68 teams and was first conducted in 1939. Known for its upsets of favored teams, it has become one of the biggest annual sporting events in the US.
The 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2006-07 season. The 69th annual edition of the tournament began on March 13, 2007, with the opening round game and concluded with the championship game on April 2, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas. A total of 63 games were played.
The 1978 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1978, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in St. Louis, Missouri. A total of 32 games were played, including a national third-place game.
The 1981 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia. A total of 48 games were played, including a national third-place game. It was also the last tournament to be televised on NBC, before CBS took over the following year. Additionally, it was the last season in which the NCAA sponsored championships only in men's sports; the first Division I women's tournament would be played the following year.
The 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began on March 14, 1985, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Lexington, Kentucky. A total of 63 games were played.
The 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A total of 63 games were played.
The 2001 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball for the 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It began on March 13, 2001, with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Minneapolis, at the Metrodome. A total of 64 games were played.
The 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2010-11 season. The 73rd edition of the NCAA tournament began on March 15, 2011, and concluded with the championship game on April 4, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. This tournament marked the introduction of the "First Four" round and an expansion of the field of participants from 65 teams to 68. Due to the geographical location of New Orleans and San Antonio, the "South" and "Midwest" regional games were replaced by the monikers "Southeast" and "Southwest" for this tournament, respectively.
The 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2012-13 season. The 75th annual edition of the tournament began on March 19, 2013, and concluded with the championship game on April 8, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The 2013 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was played from March 23 through April 9, 2013. Tennessee continued its streak of making every NCAA women's basketball tournament at 32 consecutive appearances. Kansas made the regional semifinals for the second year in a row as a double-digit seed, UConn made it into the Final Four for the sixth consecutive year, the longest such streak, and Louisville became the first team seeded lower than fourth in a region to advance to the championship game. For the first time in tournament history, the same four teams were #1 seeds as in the previous year.
The 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2013-14 season. The 76th annual edition of the tournament began on March 18, 2014, and concluded with the championship game on April 7, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2014–15 season. The 77th edition of the tournament began on March 17, 2015, and concluded with the championship game on April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2015–16 season. The 78th edition of the Tournament began on March 15, 2016, and concluded with the championship game on April 4, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. This was the first NCAA tournament to adopt the NCAA March Madness branding, including fully-branded courts at each of the tournament venues.
The 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2016–17 season. The 79th edition of the tournament began on March 14, 2017, and concluded with the championship game on April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The championship game was the first to be contested in the Western United States since the 1995 tournament when Seattle was the host of the Final Four.
The 2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 16, 2018, and concluded with the national championship game on Sunday, April 1. The Final Four was played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This is the third time that the women's Final Four was played in Ohio after previously being held in Cincinnati in 1997 and Cleveland in 2007 and the first time that the women's Final Four was played in Columbus. For only the fourth time in the tournament’s 37-year history, all four of the number one seeds made it to the Final Four.
The 2019 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 64 teams to determine the national champion for the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The 38th annual edition of the tournament began on March 22, and concluded with the championship game on April 7 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with the University of South Florida serving as host. The tournament field was announced on March 18.
The 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2018–19 season. The 81st annual edition of the tournament began on March 19, 2019, and concluded with the championship game on April 8, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Virginia Cavaliers, with Virginia winning 85–77 in overtime.
The 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2021–22 season. The 83rd annual edition of the tournament began on March 15, 2022, and concluded with the championship game on April 4 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the Kansas Jayhawks defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels, 72–69, overcoming a 16-point first-half deficit, to claim the school's fourth national title.
The 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2022–23 season. The 84th annual edition of the tournament began on March 14, 2023, and concluded with the UConn Huskies defeating the San Diego State Aztecs, 76–59 in the championship game on April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.