Conference tournaments have started – and that means March Madness is here.
The 2023-24 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will have 32 automatic bids. A handful of conference tournaments have started, and the first four automatic bids will be set this weekend.
The Ohio Valley Conference will have its tournament championship game on Saturday, and the Missouri Valley Conference, Big South and Atlantic Sun will have their conference championship games on Sunday. The other 28 bids will be part of conference championships week.
Selection Sunday is March 17. This year’s Final Four is April 6-8 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix.
Until the final bracket is released, follow Sporting News’ automatic bid tracker here:
MORE: Latest projections for men’s bracket | Women’s bracket
NCAA tournament automatic bids 2024
A total of 32 teams will have automatic bids in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. A look at the conference tournament dates, championship games and television times for those 32 games that will determine automatic bids:
All times Eastern
| CONFERENCE | DATES | CHAMP. | TIME | TV |
| America East | March 9-16 | March 16 | 11 a.m. | ESPN2 |
| American Athletic | March 11-16 | March 17 | 3:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Atlantic 10 | March 12-17 | March 17 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| ACC | March 12-16 | March 16 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Atlantic Sun | March 4-10 | March 10 | 2 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Big 12 | March 12-16 | March 16 | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Big East | March 13-16 | March 16 | 6:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Big Sky | March 9-13 | March 13 | 11:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Big South | March 6-10 | March 10 | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| Big Ten | March 13-17 | March 17 | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Big West | March 13-16 | March 16 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| CAA | March 8-12 | March 12 | 7 p.m. | CBSSN |
| C-USA | March 12-16 | March 16 | 8:30 p.m. | CBSSN |
| Horizon | March 5-12 | March 12 | 7 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Ivy | March 16-17 | March 17 | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MAAC | March 12-16 | March 16 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| MAC | March 14-16 | March 16 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MEAC | March 13-16 | March 16 | 1 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MVC | March 7-10 | March 10 | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| MWC | March 13-16 | March 16 | 6 p.m. | TBD |
| Northeast | March 6-12 | March 12 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| OVC | March 6-9 | March 9 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Pac-12 | March 13-16 | March 16 | 9 p.m. | Fox |
| Patriot | March 5-13 | March 13 | 7 p.m. | CBSSN |
| SEC | March 13-17 | March 17 | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Southern | March 9-11 | March 11 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Southland | March 10-13 | March 13 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| SWAC | March 13-16 | March 16 | 9:30 p.m. | TBD |
| Summit | March 8-12 | March 12 | 9:30 p.m | CBSSN |
| Sun Belt | March 5-11 | March 11 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| WAC | March 7-12 | March 12 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| West Coast | March 13-16 | March 16 | 11:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
MORE: ACC’s complaints of Big 12 gaming the NET ring hollow
March Madness bracket predictions
Here are Sporting News’ latest March Madness bracket predictions, according to Bill Bender: March Madness bracket predictions 4.0.
Projected No. 1 seeds in NCAA men’s basketball tournament
| SCHOOL | RECORD |
| UConn | 27-3 |
| Purdue | 27-3 |
| Houston | 27-3 |
| Tennessee | 26-4 |
Last four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament
| SCHOOL | RECORD |
| Colorado State | 21-9 |
| Saint John’s | 18-12 |
| Colorado | 20-9 |
| Providence | 19-11 |
When is the NCAA Men’s Selection Show?
The NCAA men’s tournament field consists of 68 teams. The 32 automatic bids and 36 at-large bids will be revealed on March 17 at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
