The countdown to March Madness is on.
The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament begins this week. Thousands will fill out those brackets in hopes of winning the office poll or at least a bit of respect now that the matchups have been set on Selection Sunday.
Who will win it all? UConn is the No. 1 overall seed and the trendy pick to claim a sixth overall title and become the first team to repeat as NCAA champion since Florida in 2006-07. Other top seeds are Houston, Purdue and North Carolina.
But there are no obviously dominant teams this year and it could be a wild ride again; last year’s Final Four, remember, included two No. 5 seeds (Miami and San Diego State), the fourth-seeded Huskies and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
Get ready: The tournament tips off with the First Four on Tuesday and the first round begins Thursday.
Top games
No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese State. Cowboys are in the tournament for the first time since 2002 and are among only four 30-win teams under first-year coach Will Wade. Zags’ seed is their lowest in seven appearances.
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon. South Carolina tied for second in the SEC after being picked last in the preseason. Ducks had to win the final Pac-12 Tournament to get in, and Dana Altman could face his old team (Creighton) if it gets past the Gamecocks.
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico. Tigers enter off losses in three of their last four games. Richard Pitino’s Lobos are hot after knocking off San Diego State in the Mountain West final.
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M. The Cornhuskers are the only Power Five program to never win a game in the tournament. Their athletic director, Trev Alberts, made a surprise move to A&M last week to take the same job.
How to watch
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.
The NCAA is streaming games via its March Madness Live option.
Betting guide
The top three betting favorites (in order) are UConn, Houston and Purdue, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Who is playing?
Defending national champion UConn is the No. 1 overall seed after sweeping the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. Houston, Purdue and North Carolina also are top seeds.
Their opening games: UConn vs. Stetson, Houston vs. Longwood, Purdue vs. Montana State or Grambling and North Carolina vs. Howard or Wagner.
When are the games?
The First Four is in Dayton, Ohio, and first- and second-round games March 21-24 stretch from New York City to Spokane, Washington.
Sweet 16 weekend will see games March 28-31 in Boston (East Regional), Dallas (South), Detroit (Midwest) and Los Angeles (West).
The Final Four is in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, with the championship game the night of Monday, April 8.