What is Selection Sunday
The month of March is an exciting time of the year for college basketball fans and NCAA Basketball gamblers. This is because it is when the NCAA Division I Men and Women’s basketball championship begins. However, before the tournament can begin, Selection Sunday must take Place which brings us to What is Selection Sunday and How Does it Work?
Selection Sunday is the day where the selection committee pick which team will compete in the March Madness tournament. In addition, it is also the day that kicks off the start of the College Basketball Men’s Tournament. Last but not least, it is a very important day for bookies and basketball bettors. This is because this is when they get the necessary data to prepare their sportsbook for March Madness.
For those that only occasionally fill out a March Madness Bracket, Selection Sunday can be confusing to them. In fact, that is also the case for people not into college basketball but want to join in the conversation. Therefore, in this Guide to March Madness, we will go over the entire process!
How Does Selection Sunday Work
When is Selection Sunday?
Traditionally, Selection Sunday is set on the third Thursday of March, when the first-round games begin. In addition, it is never before March 11, or after March 17.
This year, Selection Sunday will be on March 17, 2024 at 6 PM ET on CBS
Who Decides What Teams Get to be Part of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament?
According to basketball betting sites, a 12-person selection committee decides who will be in the tournament. In addition, the committee also determines the seed of each where they will play. The chairperson of the men’s committee is usually the Southwestern Athletic Conference commissioner. While the rest of the committee is made up of school athletic directors and conference commissioners.
Of course, there are rules in place to prevent members of the committee from taking part in any favoritism. One of those rules include, a committee member not being when their school or conference is in question.
How Many NCAA Basketball Team are in the Tournament?
A total of 68 teams participates in the March Madness tournament. This includes the eight teams that will have to play in the First Four games.
What is Selection Sunday – How Does a Basketball Team
Are Any Teams Automatically in the March Madness Tournament?
Yes, the winners of the 32 conference tournaments are automatically given a spot in the tournament. However, the rest of the 36 spots are at-large bids determined by the committee. For those thinking about starting a basketball betting business, this is crucial information. Especially for sportsbooks looking to create future odds and early prop bets.
How are the Rest of the Teams Chosen to be in the Tournament
The basis is that the committee members will choose each team based on their regular season performance. Thus, they will look and compare wins, losses, conference strength, scoring margin, schedule difficulty. In addition, they will also look at the offensive and defensive efficiency of each team and game location. Essentially, they mostly look at the NET ranking of each team and their resume.
After the teams are chosen, then each team will receive a rank from 1 to 68. Afterwards, every four teams are evaluated in the same seed line. For example: Nos. 1-4 will be the No. 1 seeds, Nos. 5-8 will be the No. 2 seeds and so on.
In addition, the four lowest-ranked automatic qualifying teams will play in the First Four games as 16 seeds. On the other hand, the four lowest at-large teams will compete in the other First Four games.
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