2024 NCAA Tournament Bracketology

By Joe Lunardi Updated: 6/6/2023 at 6:15 a.m. ET

College basketball has never been more of a year-round enterprise. From the coaching carousel to the transfer portal to early NBA draft entries, the roster of your favorite team might have changed since you clicked on this page. ESPN Bracketology has it covered during the entire offseason, with regular updates as we count down to the 2023-24 campaign. Opening night will be here before we know it.

Bracket Watch

It came down to the final hour, but Zach Edey's ultimate return to Purdue has already reframed the 2023-24 campaign. Kansas remains the clear preseason No. 1, but the Boilermakers have slipped in behind the Jayhawks as a probable repeat 1-seed with serious revenge on their minds. In March, the Boilers became only the second top seed to ever lose its NCAA opener to a No. 16. The last time it happened (Virginia, 2018), the Cavaliers bounced back with the 2019 national championship. It will be all hands on deck in West Lafayette to see if Purdue can do the same. Other big winners from the NBA draft withdrawal deadline include Illinois (up six seed lines), Baylor (up two), TCU (up two), Mississippi State (up three) and Auburn (up two). A bit more summer movement is still to come from late transfer activity, but not much. This bracket is very close to where we'll be in November.

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

SOUTH (DALLAS)

Omaha

Salt Lake City

Pittsburgh

Memphis

WEST (LOS ANGELES)

Charlotte

1 Duke - aq
16 Norfolk St. - aq/
Texas Southern - aq
8 Auburn
9 Maryland

Salt Lake City

Spokane

Charlotte

MIDWEST (DETROIT)

Indianapolis

Spokane

Pittsburgh

Omaha

EAST (BOSTON)

Indianapolis

Brooklyn

Memphis

Brooklyn

Conference Breakdown

Conference

Team

Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock

RULES

ESPN's Bracketology efforts are focused on projecting the NCAA tournament field just as we expect the NCAA Division I basketball committee to select the field in March. 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. Visit the NCAA's website for a fuller understanding of NCAA selection criteria.

68-Team Bracket

The 68-team bracket is the standard version of the NCAA tournament field that has been in place since 2011. If the 2021 field is comprised of 68 teams, there will be some key differences to past years, however.

The primary adjustment from a normal year is, of course, the playing of the entire NCAA tournament at a single site. This eliminates the need for geographical considerations in seeding. Additionally, there will be at least one fewer automatic qualifier this season, as the Ivy League's decision to forgo the 2020-21 season reduces the number of AQ entries to 31 for this season.

48-Team Bracket

In this projection, a condensed selection process would reduce the field by 10 at-large teams and 10 automatic qualifiers (the latter of which still receive a revenue unit). The top four seeds in each region would receive a bye into the second round, with four first-round games per region - 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9 - being played without fans on the higher seed's home court.

To minimize travel, first-round pairings will be guided by geography to the greatest extent possible. And the reduced field results in only 32 teams competing at the central site. All participants must post a minimum .500 conference record - the "Lunardi Rule" - for at-large consideration.

16-Team Bracket

In this projection, the committee selects and seeds the 16 best available teams. There are no automatic qualifiers, although all non-competing conference champions receive the designated revenue unit.

To maintain some sense of national balance, conference participation is capped at four teams. And no region shall have more than one team from the same conference.

ESPN

Bracket Watch

Top Overall Seed

First Team Out

Last Team In

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

SOUTH (DALLAS)

Omaha

Salt Lake City

Pittsburgh

Memphis

WEST (LOS ANGELES)

Charlotte

Salt Lake City

Spokane

Charlotte

MIDWEST (DETROIT)

Indianapolis

Spokane

Pittsburgh

Omaha

EAST (BOSTON)

Indianapolis

Brooklyn

Memphis

Brooklyn

Conference Breakdown

More Stories