The NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday - How to Watch on TV & Stream
Updated on: March 10, 2025 / 02:49 PM

The NCAA Tournament Selection Process: How Teams Make It to March Madness

Every March, college basketball fans eagerly await Selection Sunday, the day when the NCAA reveals the full bracket for the March Madness tournament. The selection process determines which 68 teams earn a spot in the tournament and where they are seeded. Understanding how teams qualify and how the bracket is formed can enhance your viewing experience and help you make more informed bracket predictions. Here’s a deep dive into how the selection process works.

Where to Watch Selection Sunday Live on TV & Stream

Selection Sunday takes place on March 16, 2025, and will be televised and streamed live in the U.S.

Men’s Bracket Reveal

Women’s Bracket Reveal

If you don’t have cable, services like Paramount+ (for CBS games) and Fubo (for ESPN coverage) allow you to watch the selection show and tournament action live.

How Teams Are Selected

Automatic Bids (32 Teams): A total of 32 teams receive an automatic bid by winning their respective conference tournaments. These teams are guaranteed entry into March Madness, regardless of their regular-season performance. Winning a conference tournament is often the best path to the tournament for mid-major teams that wouldn’t otherwise receive an invite.

At-Large Bids (36 Teams): The remaining 36 spots are filled by teams chosen by the NCAA Selection Committee. These teams, called at-large selections, are selected based on various factors, including:

  • NET Rankings (NCAA Evaluation Tool)
  • Strength of schedule
  • Wins against top-ranked teams
  • Performance in road and neutral-site games
  • Head-to-head results
  • Key injuries or player absences

Each year, at-large selections spark debates, as some deserving teams get left out. Bubble teams—those on the fringe of selection—anxiously wait to see if they make the cut.

Bracket Formation & Seeding

Once all 68 teams are determined, the Selection Committee organizes them into four regions: East, West, South, and Midwest. The bracket is structured as follows:

Seeding the Teams

  • Each team receives a seed number from 1 to 16 within its region.
  • The strongest teams earn No. 1 seeds, while the weakest qualifiers receive No. 16 seeds.
  • The four best teams overall are placed in separate regions to balance competition.

First Four & The Field of 64

  • The tournament begins with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, where the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers play for a spot in the main bracket.
  • The winners of these games advance to the 64-team field, which officially kicks off the tournament.

Finding the Best College Basketball Streams

For the latest information on where to watch NCAA basketball live on TV and stream games online, check out Livesportsontv.com. This platform provides up-to-date schedules, TV listings, and streaming options for college basketball games, including March Madness. Whether you need to find out what channel the next big game is on or locate the best streaming services for NCAA basketball, Livesportsontv.com is a must-have resource.