2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament

Last updated

2021 NCAA Division I
Men's Basketball Tournament
2021 NCAA Men's Final Four logo.svg
Season 2020–21
Teams68 (including one that did not play)
Finals site Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Champions Baylor Bears (1st title, 2nd title game,
3rd Final Four)
Runner-up Gonzaga Bulldogs (2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coach Scott Drew (1st title)
MOP Jared Butler (Baylor)
NCAA Division I Men's Tournaments
« 2020 2022 »

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 82nd edition of the tournament began play on March 18 in sites around the state of Indiana, [1] and concluded with the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 5, with the Baylor Bears defeating the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs 86–70 to earn the club's first ever title.

Contents

For logistical considerations surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the cancellation of the previous year's tournament), the NCAA announced in January 2021 that all tournament games would be held in Indiana. This was the first time in the history of the tournament that a single state has hosted it in its entirety. [2]

This marked the first time since 1976 that neither Duke nor Kentucky qualified for the tournament. [3] America East champion Hartford and WAC champion Grand Canyon made their NCAA Tournament debuts.

The tournament was marked by many upsets, with Yahoo Sports journalist Pete Thamel calling it "one of the most dizzying NCAA men's tournaments in history". With only half of the 16 second-round games having been played, there had been 11 upsets to that point, using the NCAA's definition of "upset" as a win by a team seeded five or more lines below its defeated opponent. This had already broken the record for most upsets prior to the round of 16; after this story was published, this number went up to 12. In addition, at least one 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 seed won a first-round game for the fourth time ever, and the first time since 2016. Also, a record four teams seeded 13 or lower won first-round games. [4] Another notable mark set during the tournament was a record-breaking 14 upsets throughout the event, breaking the original record of 13 upsets from the 1985 and 2014 tournaments.

The Final Four game between UCLA and Gonzaga (the first semifinal game to go into overtime since 1998) saw a game-winning buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs to take Gonzaga into the championship game, the first buzzer-beater in a national semifinal since 1977. By defeating Gonzaga in the championship game, the Baylor Bears became the second consecutive first-time NCAA champions, following the Virginia Cavaliers in 2019. The last time this happened was in 2002 and 2003, when the Maryland Terrapins and Syracuse Orangemen won their first titles in their respective years. Baylor also joined Texas Western (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso) as the only two teams from the state of Texas to have won an NCAA Division I Basketball championship, the Miners having done so in 1966.

Tournament procedure

A total of 68 teams entered the 2021 tournament, with 31 of them (down from 32, due to the Ivy League having canceled all winter semester sports due to COVID-19) [5] having received an automatic bid by winning their conference's tournament. The remaining 37 bids were "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Teams met sport sponsorship requirements and were considered for NCAA championship selection if they played 13 games, which represented a 50 percent reduction of the current minimum. For NCAA championship consideration, all 13 games had to be against other Division I opponents. Teams could also play 12 regular-season games against Division I opponents and one conference tournament game to be eligible for tournament consideration. [6]

The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 68. The four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams played in the First Four round: for the 2021 tournament, the games were played between the overall 65th and 66th seeds, the 67th and 68th seed, and the last four at-large seeds. [7]

The top four teams outside of the ranking (commonly known as the "first four out" in pre-tourney analyses) acted as standbys in the event a school was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. [8] [9] However, if a team withdrew within 48 hours of the tournament's commencement, they would not be replaced; the bracket was not reseeded, and the affected team's opponent would automatically advance to the next round. [10]

Schedule and venues

2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
2021 NCAA tournament venues

On January 4, 2021, the NCAA announced that due to logistical considerations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (which prompted the cancellation of the 2020 tournament), the entirety of the tournament would be conducted at sites within the Indianapolis metro area and central Indiana, rather than across the country. [11] Players stayed at hotels near the Indiana Convention Center, which served as the main practice facility. [12]

On February 19, it was announced that all venues would operate at a maximum of 25% capacity. As this capacity includes staff and players, the exact number of spectators varied by venue. [13] [14] Artificial crowd noise was used at all venues to augment the limited in-person attendance. [15]

This tournament marked the first time ever that Indiana Farmers Coliseum was a tournament venue, the first time since 2017 that Bankers Life Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1940 that Hinkle Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1980 that Mackey Arena was a tournament venue, and the first time since 1981 that Assembly Hall was a tournament venue.

First Four:

First and Second Rounds:

Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight):

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship):

Original 2021 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues

2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
2021 First Four (orange) and first and second rounds (green) as originally selected.
2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
2021 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red) as originally selected.

The following sites were originally selected to host each round of the 2021 tournament; [16] with the exceptions of Boise and Minneapolis, all cities and venues listed are scheduled to host tournament games after 2021:

First Four

First and Second Rounds

Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship)

Qualification and selection

Automatic qualifiers

ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bid
America East Hartford 1stNever
American Houston 22nd2019
Atlantic 10 St. Bonaventure 8th2018
ACC Georgia Tech 17th2010
Atlantic Sun Liberty 5th2019
Big 12 Texas 35th2018
Big East Georgetown 31st2015
Big Sky Eastern Washington 3rd2015
Big South Winthrop 11th2017
Big Ten Illinois 31st2013
Big West UC Santa Barbara 6th2011
CAA Drexel 5th1996
C-USA North Texas 4th2010
Horizon Cleveland State 3rd2009
Ivy LeagueSeason not played
MAAC Iona 15th2019
MAC Ohio 14th2012
MEAC Norfolk State 2nd2012
Missouri Valley Loyola–Chicago 7th2018
Mountain West San Diego State 13th2018
NEC Mount St. Mary's 6th2017
Ohio Valley Morehead State 8th2011
Pac-12 Oregon State 15th2016
Patriot Colgate 4th2019
SEC Alabama 22nd2018
Southern UNC Greensboro 4th2018
Southland Abilene Christian 2nd2019
SWAC Texas Southern 9th2018
Summit League Oral Roberts 6th2008
Sun Belt Appalachian State 3rd2000
WAC Grand Canyon 1stNever
WCC Gonzaga 23rd2019

Tournament seeds

The tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process.

In contrast to previous years, the S-Curve used to establish overall seeds will also be used as primary determinant of the tournament bracket; this was made possible by the relatively condensed locations of this year's tournament making geographic concerns irrelevant. However, rules that can modify pairings to avoid early rematches and to distribute top conference representatives to different regions will remain in effect. [17] [18]

West Regional
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth type
1 Gonzaga West Coast 26–01Automatic
2 Iowa Big Ten 21–87At-Large
3 Kansas Big 12 20–812At-Large
4 Virginia ACC 18–616At-Large
5 Creighton Big East 20–817At-Large
6 USC Pac-12 22–721At-Large
7 Oregon Pac-12 20–625At-Large
8 Oklahoma Big 12 15–1032At-Large
9 Missouri SEC 16–933At-Large
10 VCU Atlantic 10 19–738At-Large
11* Wichita State American 16–545At-Large
Drake Missouri Valley 25–448At-Large
12 UC Santa Barbara Big West 22–450Automatic
13 Ohio MAC 16–751Automatic
14 Eastern Washington Big Sky 16–758Automatic
15 Grand Canyon WAC 17–659Automatic
16* Norfolk State MEAC 16–767Automatic
Appalachian State Sun Belt 17–1168Automatic
East Regional
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth type
1 Michigan Big Ten 20–44At-Large
2 Alabama SEC 24–65Automatic
3 Texas Big 12 19–711Automatic
4 Florida State ACC 16–613At-Large
5 Colorado Pac-12 22–820At-Large
6 BYU West Coast 20–623At-Large
7 UConn Big East 15–726At-Large
8 LSU SEC 18–929At-Large
9 St. Bonaventure Atlantic 10 16–439Automatic
10 Maryland Big Ten 16–1336At-Large
11* Michigan State Big Ten 15–1243At-Large
UCLA Pac-12 17–944At-Large
12 Georgetown Big East 13–1247Automatic
13 UNC Greensboro Southern 21–854Automatic
14 Abilene Christian Southland 23–455Automatic
15 Iona MAAC 12–562Automatic
16* Mount St. Mary's Northeast 12–1065Automatic
Texas Southern SWAC 16–866Automatic
South Regional
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth type
1 Baylor Big 12 22–22At-Large
2 Ohio State Big Ten 21–96At-Large
3 Arkansas SEC 22–69At-Large
4 Purdue Big Ten 18–914At-Large
5 Villanova Big East 16–618At-Large
6 Texas Tech Big 12 17–1022At-Large
7 Florida SEC 14–928At-Large
8 North Carolina ACC 18–1031At-Large
9 Wisconsin Big Ten 17–1235At-Large
10 Virginia Tech ACC 15–637At-Large
11 Utah State Mountain West 20–842At-Large
12 Winthrop Big South 23–149Automatic
13 North Texas C-USA 17–952Automatic
14 Colgate Patriot 14–157Automatic
15 Oral Roberts Summit 16–1061Automatic
16 Hartford America East 15–864Automatic
Midwest Regional
SeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth type
1 Illinois Big Ten 23–63Automatic
2 Houston American 24–38Automatic
3 West Virginia Big 12 18–910At-Large
4 Oklahoma State Big 12 20–815At-Large
5 Tennessee SEC 18–819At-Large
6 San Diego State Mountain West 23–424Automatic
7 Clemson ACC 16–727At-Large
8 Loyola-Chicago Missouri Valley 24–430Automatic
9 Georgia Tech ACC 17–834Automatic
10 Rutgers Big Ten 15–1140At-Large
11 Syracuse ACC 16–941At-Large
12 Oregon State Pac-12 17–1246Automatic
13 Liberty Atlantic Sun 23–553Automatic
14 Morehead State Ohio Valley 23–756Automatic
15 Cleveland State Horizon 19–760Automatic
16 Drexel Colonial 12–763Automatic

*See First Four

Tournament bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

Note: Unlike past tournaments, teams are not grouped as pods. Second round games will match teams that played at different venues in the first round.

First Four – Bloomington and West Lafayette

March 18 – West Regional
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
   
16 Norfolk State 54
16 Appalachian State 53
March 18 – West Regional
Mackey Arena
   
11 Wichita State 52
11 Drake 53
March 18 – East Regional
Mackey Arena
   
11 Michigan State 80
11 UCLA 86*
March 18 – East Regional
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
   
16 Mount St. Mary's 52
16 Texas Southern 60

West Regional

First Round
Round of 64
Saturday, March 20 		Second Round
Round of 32
Monday, March 22 		Regional Semifinals
Sweet 16
Sunday, March 28 		Regional Final/Elite 8
Tuesday, March 30
(Lucas Oil Stadium)
            
1 Gonzaga 98
16 Norfolk State 55
1 Gonzaga87
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/16)
Lucas Oil Stadium (8/9)
8 Oklahoma 71
8 Oklahoma 72
9 Missouri 68
1 Gonzaga83
Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/8 and 5/13)
5 Creighton 65
5 Creighton 63
12 UC Santa Barbara 62
5 Creighton72
Lucas Oil Stadium (5/12)
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (4/13)
13 Ohio 58
4 Virginia 58
13 Ohio 62
1Gonzaga85
Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/5)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (6/7)
6 USC 66
6 USC 72
11 Drake 56
6 USC85
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (6/11)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (3/14)
3 Kansas 51
3 Kansas 93
14 Eastern Washington 84
6 USC82
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/3)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (7/2)
7 Oregon 68
7 Oregon WO
10 VCU [upper-alpha 1]
7 Oregon95
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (7/10 and 2/15)
2 Iowa 80
2 Iowa 86
15 Grand Canyon 74

West Regional Final

TBS
March 30
7:15 pm EDT
#6 USC Trojans 66, #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs85
Scoring by half: 30–49, 36–36
Pts: I. Mobley, 19
Rebs: I. Mobley, 7
Asts: I. Mobley, E. Mobley, 3		Pts: D. Timme, 23
Rebs: J. Suggs, 10
Asts: J. Suggs, 8
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 6,166
Referees: Randy McCall, Doug Shows, Bert Smith, Tony Henderson [20]

West Regional all tournament team

East Regional

First Round
Round of 64
Saturday, March 20 		Second Round
Round of 32
Monday, March 22 		Regional Semifinals
Sweet 16
Sunday, March 28 		Regional Final/Elite 8
Tuesday, March 30
(Lucas Oil Stadium)
            
1 Michigan 82
16 Texas Southern 66
1 Michigan86
Mackey Arena (1/16)
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (8/9)
8 LSU 78
8 LSU 76
9 St. Bonaventure 61
1 Michigan76
Lucas Oil Stadium (1/8)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (5/4)
4 Florida State 58
5 Colorado 96
12 Georgetown 73
5 Colorado 53
Hinkle Fieldhouse (5/12)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (4/13)
4 Florida State71
4 Florida State 64
13 UNC Greensboro 54
1 Michigan 49
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/4)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (11/2)
11 UCLA51
6 BYU 62
11 UCLA 73
11 UCLA67
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/11)
Lucas Oil Stadium (3/14)
14 Abilene Christian 47
3 Texas 52
14 Abilene Christian 53
11 UCLA88*
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (11/14 and 10/2)
2 Alabama 78
7 UConn 54
10 Maryland 63
10 Maryland 77
Mackey Arena (7/10)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (2/15)
2 Alabama96
2 Alabama 68
15 Iona 55

East Regional Final

TBS
March 30
9:57 pm EDT
#11 UCLA Bruins51, #1 Michigan Wolverines 49
Scoring by half: 27–23, 24–26
Pts: J. Juzang, 28
Rebs: J. Bernard, 9
Asts: J. Jaquez Jr., 4		Pts: H. Dickinson, 11
Rebs: C. Brown Jr., 9
Asts: E. Brooks, M. Smith, 4
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 7,515
Referees: Bo Boroski, Verne Harris, Lee Cassell

East Regional all tournament team

South Regional

First Round
Round of 64
Friday, March 19 		Second Round
Round of 32
Sunday, March 21 		Regional Semifinals
Sweet 16
Saturday, March 27 		Regional Final/Elite 8
Monday, March 29
(Lucas Oil Stadium)
            
1 Baylor 79
16 Hartford 55
1 Baylor76
Lucas Oil Stadium (1/16)
Mackey Arena (8/9)
9 Wisconsin 63
8 North Carolina 62
9 Wisconsin 85
1 Baylor62
Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/9)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (5/13)
5 Villanova 51
5 Villanova 73
12 Winthrop 63
5 Villanova84
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (5/12)
Lucas Oil Stadium (4/13)
13 North Texas 61
4 Purdue 69
13 North Texas 78*
1 Baylor81
Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/5)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (3/15)
3 Arkansas 72
6 Texas Tech 65
11 Utah State 53
6 Texas Tech 66
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (6/11)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (3/14)
3 Arkansas68
3 Arkansas 85
14 Colgate 68
3 Arkansas72
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/3)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (7/15)
15 Oral Roberts 70
7 Florida 75*
10 Virginia Tech 70
7 Florida 78
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7/10)
Mackey Arena (2/15)
15 Oral Roberts81
2 Ohio State 72
15 Oral Roberts 75*

South Regional Final

CBS
March 29
9:57 pm EDT
#3 Arkansas Razorbacks 72, #1 Baylor Bears81
Scoring by half: 38–46, 34–35
Pts: D. Davis, J. Notae, 14
Rebs: J. Smith, D. Davis, D. Sills, 6
Asts: D. Sills, 4		Pts: M. Teague, 22
Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6
Asts: D. Mitchell, 6
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 7,519
Referees: Terry Oglesby, Jeff Clark, Paul Szelc

South Regional all tournament team

Midwest Regional

First Round
Round of 64
Friday, March 19 		Second Round
Round of 32
Sunday, March 21 		Regional Semifinals
Sweet 16
Saturday, March 27 		Regional Final/Elite 8
Monday, March 29
(Lucas Oil Stadium)
            
1 Illinois 78
16 Drexel 49
1 Illinois 58
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (1/16)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (8/9)
8 Loyola–Chicago71
8 Loyola–Chicago 71
9 Georgia Tech 60
8 Loyola–Chicago 58
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/8)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (12/4)
12 Oregon State65
5 Tennessee 56
12 Oregon State 70
12 Oregon State80
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (5/12)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (4/13)
4 Oklahoma State 70
4 Oklahoma State 69
13 Liberty 60
12 Oregon State 61
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (8/12)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (11/2)
2 Houston67
6 San Diego State 62
11 Syracuse 78
11 Syracuse75
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/11)
Lucas Oil Stadium (3/14)
3 West Virginia 72
3 West Virginia 84
14 Morehead State 67
11 Syracuse 46
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (11/3)
Lucas Oil Stadium (10/2)
2 Houston62
7 Clemson 56
10 Rutgers 60
10 Rutgers 60
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (7/10)
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (2/15)
2 Houston63
2 Houston 87
15 Cleveland State 56

Midwest Regional Final

CBS
March 29
7:15 pm EDT
#12 Oregon State Beavers 61, #2 Houston Cougars67
Scoring by half: 17–34, 44–33
Pts: M. Calloo, 13
Rebs: E. Thompson, 7
Asts: E. Thompson, 6		Pts: M. Sasser, 20
Rebs: J. Gorham, 10
Asts: D. Jarreau, 8
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 7,519
Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, Mike Reed

Midwest Regional all tournament team

Final Four – Indianapolis, Indiana

National Semifinals
Final Four
Saturday, April 3 		National Championship Game
Monday, April 5
      
W1 Gonzaga93*
E11 UCLA 90
W1 Gonzaga 70
S1 Baylor86
S1 Baylor78
MW2 Houston 59

National Semifinals

CBS
April 3
5:14 pm EDT
S1 Baylor Bears78, MW2 Houston Cougars 59
Scoring by half: 45–20, 33–39
Pts: J. Butler, 17
Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6
Asts: D. Mitchell, 11		Pts: M. Sasser, 20
Rebs: J. Gorham, 6
Asts: J. Gorham, 3
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,131
Referees: Doug Sirmons, Pat Adams, Chris Rastatter
CBS
April 3
8:34 pm EDT
W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs93, E11 UCLA Bruins 90 (OT)
Scoring by half: 45–44, 36–37  Overtime: 12–9
Pts: D. Timme, 25
Rebs: J. Ayayi, 6
Asts: A. Nembhard, 8		Pts: J. Juzang, 29
Rebs: C. Riley, 10
Asts: T. Campbell, 7
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,131
Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, James Breeding

National Championship

CBS
April 5
9:20 pm EDT
S1 Baylor Bears86, W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 70
Scoring by half: 47–37, 39–33
Pts: J. Butler, 22
Rebs: M. Vital, 11
Asts: J. Butler, 7		Pts: J. Suggs, 22
Rebs: D. Timme, 5
Asts: A. Nembhard, 4
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Referees: Randy McCall, Bo Boroski, Keith Kimble

Final Four all-tournament team

Source: [21]

Record by conference

ConferenceBidsRecordWin %FFR64R32S16E8F4CGNC
Big 12 711–6.625–7611111
WCC 25–2.714–211111–
American 24–2.667111111––
Pac-12 513–5.72215†5431––
Big Ten 98–9.47118611–––
SEC 67–6.538–6421–––
ACC 74–7.364–722––––
Big East 44–4.500–422––––
Missouri Valley 23–2.6001211––––
Summit 12–1.667–111––––
C-USA 11–1.500–11–––––
MAC 11–1.500–11–––––
Southland 11–1.500–11–––––
MEAC 11–1.50011––––––
SWAC 11–1.50011––––––
Atlantic 10 20–1.000–2†––––––
Mountain West 20–2.000–2––––––
America East 10–1.000–1––––––
Atlantic Sun 10–1.000–1––––––
Big Sky 10–1.000–1––––––
Big South 10–1.000–1––––––
Big West 10–1.000–1––––––
Colonial 10–1.000–1––––––
Horizon 10–1.000–1––––––
MAAC 10–1.000–1––––––
Ohio Valley 10–1.000–1––––––
Patriot 10–1.000–1––––––
Southern 10–1.000–1––––––
WAC 10–1.000–1––––––
Northeast 10–1.0001–––––––
Sun Belt 10–1.0001–––––––

† Includes a game declared no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols with VCU. Oregon of the Pac-12 conference advanced to the Second Round and VCU of the Atlantic 10 conference was eliminated from the tournament.

    Media coverage

    Television

    CBS Sports and Turner Sports had US television rights to the tournament. [22] [23] As part of a cycle that began in 2016, CBS televised the 2021 Final Four and the National Championship Game. Because the 2020 tournament had been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, the last two rounds in back-to-back editions were broadcast on CBS for the first time since 2015 (Turner Sports would've broadcast the 2020 Final Four and National Championship according to the arrangement).

    Television channels

    • First Four – truTV and TBS
    • First and Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
    • Regional Semifinals and Final (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) – CBS and TBS
    • National Semifinals (Final Four) and Championship – CBS

    Studio hosts

    • Greg Gumbel (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Ernie Johnson (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals and Final Four
    • Adam Zucker (New York City) – First Round and Second Round
    • Matt Winer (Atlanta) – First Round (Game Breaks)

    Studio analysts

    • Charles Barkley (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Seth Davis (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Jim Jackson (Indianapolis) – National Championship Game
    • Andy Katz (Atlanta) – First Four, First Round, Second Round and Regionals
    • Clark Kellogg (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Candace Parker (Indianapolis) – Final Four
    • Kenny Smith (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Gene Steratore (New York City and Indianapolis) (Rules Analyst) – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
    • Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – First Four, First Round, Second Round and Regionals

    Commentary teams

    ESPN International had international rights to the tournament. Coverage uses CBS/Turner play-by-play teams until the Final Four. [24]

    Most-watched tournament games

    All times Eastern.Tournament seedings and region are in parentheses.

    RankRoundDateMatchupNetworkViewers (millions)TV Rating [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
    1National ChampionshipApril 5, 2021, 9:20 ET(1 S) Baylor 86(1 W) Gonzaga 70 CBS 16.929.4
    2Final FourApril 3, 2021, 8:34 ET(11 E) UCLA 90(1 W) Gonzaga 9314.947.6
    3Sweet 16March 28, 2021 5:00 ET(4 E) Florida State 58(1 E) Michigan 769.035.1
    4Final FourApril 3, 2021, 5:14 ET(2 MW) Houston 59(1 S) Baylor 788.184.4
    5Round of 32March 21, 2021, 5:15 ET(11 MW) Syracuse 75(3 MW) West Virginia 727.864.5
    6Sweet 16March 27, 2021 5:15 ET(5 S) Villanova 51(1 S) Baylor 627.544.2
    7Round of 32March 21, 2021, 2:40 ET(9 S) Wisconsin 63(1 S) Baylor 767.424.5
    8Elite EightMarch 30, 2021, 9:57 ET(11 E) UCLA 51(1 E) Michigan 49 TBS 6.893.9
    9Sweet 16March 28, 2021, 2:10 ET(5 W) Creighton 65(1 W) Gonzaga 83 CBS 6.663.9
    10Sweet 16March 28, 2021, 7:15 ET(11 E) UCLA 88(2 E) Alabama 78 TBS 6.513.7

    Radio

    Internet

    FastBreak is an online-only program providing whiparound coverage of all tournament games similar to NFL RedZone during the first weekend.

    See also

    Notes

    1. ↑ Game declared no contest due to COVID-19 protocols with VCU. Oregon advances in the tournament. [19]

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    1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament

    The 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9 and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City. A total of 40 games were played, including a national third-place game. This was the tournament's only edition with forty teams; the previous year's had 32, and it expanded to 48 in 1980. The 1979 Indiana State team was the most recent squad to reach a national title game with an undefeated record, holding that distinction for 42 years until the 2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs team won a 93-90 OT national semifinal over UCLA to reach the 2021 title contest vs. Baylor with a 31-0 record.

    1980 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament

    The 1980 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 6th, 1980, and ended with the championship game on March 24th at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. A total of 48 games were played, including a national third-place game.

    1991 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    The 1991 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 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 63 games were played.

    1997 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    The 1997 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, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the RCA Dome. A total of 63 games were played.

    1999 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    The 1999 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 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. A total of 63 games were played. This year's Final Four was the first—and so far, only—to be held in a baseball-specific facility, as Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Rays.

    2005 NCAA Division I Womens Basketball Tournament

    The 2005 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2005 and concluded on April 5, 2005 when Baylor was crowned as the new national champion. The Final Four was held for the first time at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 3 and 5, 2005, and was hosted by Butler University and the Horizon League. Future Final Fours will be held every five years in Indianapolis, the NCAA's home city, will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, one block south of the Indiana Convention Center, where the RCA Dome is located. Baylor, coached by Kim Mulkey-Robertson, defeated Michigan State, coached by Joanne P. McCallie, 84-62 in the championship game. Baylor's Sophia Young was named Most Outstanding Player. For the first time, taking a page from the Men's Tournament, the regionals were named after the city they were played in, rather than the geographical location, and the "pod" system adopted by the Men's Tournament was used.

    Hinkle Fieldhouse

    Hinkle Fieldhouse is a basketball arena on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Completed in early 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States until 1950. The facility was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1966 in honor of Butler's longtime coach and athletic director, Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle. It is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in use. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987, Hinkle Fieldhouse is sometimes referred to as "Indiana's Basketball Cathedral."

    2010 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    The 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2009–10 basketball season. It began on March 16, 2010, and concluded with the championship game on April 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was the first Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium; the RCA Dome and Market Square Arena hosted past Final Fours when the event was held in Indianapolis.

    2011 NCAA Division I Womens Basketball Tournament

    The 2011 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2011 and concluded on April 5, 2011. The Texas A&M Aggies won the championship, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76–70 in the final held at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

    Indianapolis is the home to 11 professional sports teams. The city is also home to three National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate teams. Two teams from the four major American leagues, the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers, are located in Indianapolis.

    2013 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament United States top collegiate-level basketball tournament for 2013; 75th anniversary of the NCAA Tournament

    The 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was a single-elimination tournament that involved 68 teams playing to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 2013, and concluded with the championship game on April 8, 2013, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. This was the 75th edition of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, dating to 1939.

    2015 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    The 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. 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. Duke defeated Wisconsin in the championship game, 68–63. Tyus Jones of Duke was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

    2017 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament

    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 a Western state since 1995 when Seattle was the host of the Final Four for that year.

    The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game was the final game of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

    2020–21 Indiana Hoosiers mens basketball team American college basketball season

    The 2020–21 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represented Indiana University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Archie Miller, in his fourth and final year as Indiana head coach. The team played its home games at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers finished the season 12–15, 7–12 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for the 10th place. As the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, they lost in the first round to Rutgers.

    References

    1. ↑ "NCAA announces early-round dates for tourney". ESPN.com. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
    2. ↑ "NCAA announces further details for 2021 Division I men's basketball championship" . Retrieved January 4, 2021.
    3. ↑ "Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, Michigan get top seeds in NCAA men's basketball tournament". ESPN.com. March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
    4. ↑ Thamel, Pete (March 22, 2021). "Why this may already be the craziest NCAA men's tournament ever". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
    5. ↑ "Ivy League cancels basketball season for 2020-21 as part of ban on winter sports due to COVID-19". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
    6. ↑ "DI Council approves Nov. 25 start date for men's and women's basketball". NCAA. September 16, 2020.
    7. ↑ "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
    8. ↑ Gleeson, Scott (March 14, 2021). "March Madness: Here's how Duke could play in the 2021 NCAA Tournament after all". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
    9. ↑ Gleeson, Scott; Mast, Shelby (March 14, 2021). "NCAA Tournament bracketology: Final March Madness projection on Selection Sunday". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
    10. ↑ Wells, Adam (February 21, 2021). "NCAA Tournament teams won't be replaced if forced to withdraw due to COVID-19". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
    11. ↑ "NCAA tournament to be held entirely in Indiana". ESPN.com. January 4, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
    12. ↑ Benbow, Dana Hunsinger; Doyel, Gregg; Osterman, Zach. "It's official: 2021 NCAA tournament to be played entirely in Central Indiana, Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
    13. ↑ "A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend 2021 NCAA Tournament games". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
    14. ↑ "NCAA men's tourney to have limited attendance". ESPN.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
    15. ↑ Editor, Dan Daley, Audio. "March Madness 2021: Broadcast Audio Mixes in Crowd Sound — Real and Augmented". Sports Video Group. Retrieved March 26, 2021.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
    16. ↑ "Future Division I Men's Basketball Championship sites". NCAA. March 22, 2019.
    17. ↑ "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
    18. ↑ "The NCAA bracket S-curve, explained". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
    19. NCAA staff (March 20, 2021). "VCU-Oregon game ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
    20. ↑ https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/official-collapses-wheeled-off-court-on-stretcher-from-ncaa-tournament-game/
    21. ↑ "NCAA All-Tournament Teams". Associated Press. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
    22. ↑ Bonesteel, Matt (April 12, 2016). "CBS and Turner Sports lock down NCAA tournament through 2032". The Washington Post . Retrieved April 12, 2016.
    23. ↑ "Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Commentator Teams". Warner Media. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
    24. ↑ "ESPN's College GameDay Covered by State Farm Headlines Men's College Basketball Studio Programming this Weekend". ESPN Press Room U.S. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
    25. ↑ Paulsen. "NCAA Tournament off to solid start despite dip". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
    26. ↑ Paulsen. "Super Sweet 16: schedule change boosts regional semis". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
    27. ↑ Paulsen. "Steep declines for men's Elite Eight". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
    28. ↑ Paulsen. "Final Four ratings: Gonzaga-UCLA thriller hits post-hiatus high despite drop". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
    29. ↑ Paulsen. "Nearly 17 million watch Baylor bully Bulldogs". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
    30. ↑ "Community news: Summer concert series announced and more". Westport News. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
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