NCAA March Madness has been a great event to showcase budding basketball players’ talent and win a title. As of 2024, 68 colleges qualify for the tournament and with elimination games through 5 rounds, fans have their “final four” for the tournament. Two steps away from writing a fairytale ending to their season, these teams are regarded as the best of their class and tend to provide top talent in the NBA draft.
Each Final Four writes its own story; some teams are expected to make it to the final four, while others progress at the expense of higher-ranked teams. Although the Final Fours already have their fair share of stories till the last stages, only occasionally does the three-game weekend series provide enough excitement to merit mention as a group.
These teams might not have had the best season, but they had produced when it mattered the most. That’s the excitement of an “elimination” system, where many millions of brackets fail because of single-game results. Before going through this season’s challengers, we will walk through the history of the best of final fours and some surprising contenders in the past too.
History:
The event started in 1939 and has a rich history of entertaining basketball fans. With just 8 teams playing the first-ever Division I tournament, it has grown to 68 teams qualifying for the title run. This makes the tournament even more exciting and attracts worldwide viewership.
The final four matches, generally played in the third and the last week of the tournament, hold major prestige as they represent elite-level players who could soon be at the top of the draft selection. Undoubtedly many eyes are glued on the “final four” games.
Following are the top-performing teams over the years with the final four, final two and championship records,
| School | Final Four appearances | Final Two appearances | Champships |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 21 | 12 | 6 |
| UCLA | 19 | 13 | 11 |
| Duke | 17 | 11 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 17 | 12 | 8 |
| Kansas | 16 | 10 | 4 |
| Ohio State | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| Louisville | 10 | 3 | 3 |
The teams include 32 divisional champions, and the selection committee chooses the remaining 36 teams. While it should be the straightforward case that top teams or divisional winners win the National Championships that is a rarer scenario in the tournament. We have seen nine times that any number 1 seeded teams are fighting for the championship in 82 years of history.
In particular, many top teams made it to the final four. The list can be seen as follows:
2010 Final Four teams: Duke, Butler, Michigan State, West Virginia
1992 Final Four teams: Duke, Michigan, Cincinnati, Indiana
1993 Finals Four teams: North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Kentucky
1987 Final Four teams: Indiana, Syracuse, UNLV, Providence
1985 Final Four teams: Villanova, Georgetown, St. John’s, Memphis
1983 Final Four teams: North Carolina State, Houston, Louisville, Georgia
1982 Final Four teams: North Carolina, Georgetown, Houston, Louisville
1979 Final Four teams: Michigan State, Indiana State, Penn, DePaul
1977 Final Four teams: Marquette, North Carolina, UNLV, North Carolina-Charlotte
1975 Final Four teams: UCLA, Kentucky, Louisville, Syracuse
1966 Final Four teams: Texas Western, Kentucky, Duke, Utah
1957 Final Four teams: North Carolina, Kansas, San Francisco, Michigan State
UCLA holds the record for most championships and the top seeding ending. The team was undefeated in four seasons (1964, 1967, 1972, and 1973).
On the contrary, in the 2013 season, Wichita State Shockers were the 9th ranked team, but bettering many top competitors, they made it to the final four. Sadly, their historic journey ended in the Semis only. Similarly, 11th-seeded VCU Rams (2011) and 9th-seeded Pennsylvania Quakers (1979) shocked the world, making it to the final four of the tournament, who then lost in the Semis.
In 2011, Butler Bulldogs reached the finals, ranked 8th in the respective division. And similarly, Dayton Flyers were ninth when they were the final two challengers for the championship in 1967. The only lower-ranked team to make history of winning the National title was Villanova, which did it in 1985.
What is the March Madness Final Four?
The Final Four of the March Madness is the fifth round of the event and is the semifinal, where only the last four teams (regional winners) complete to reach the NCAA championship game.
When is the 2024 March Madness Final Four?
The 2024 March Madness Final Four will be held from April 5 to April 8, followed by the championship match in Phoenix, State Farm Stadium, as the NCAA.
2024 March Madness Final Four: Dates and Venues
The Final Four (daily schedule) dates and venues are given below as per the NCAA:
| FRIDAY, APRIL 5 | ||
| Time - MST (AZ) | Event | Location |
| 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Tip-Off Tailgate Presented by Nissan | Great Lawn | State Farm Stadium |
| 10:00 a.m. | Reese's Men's Final Four Friday
| State Farm Stadium |
| Noon - 8:00 p.m. | Men's Final Four Fan Fest Presented by Capital One | Phoenix Convention Center |
| 4:30 p.m. | March Madness Music Festival: AT&T Block Party | Hance Park |
| SATURDAY, APRIL 6 | ||
| Time - MST (AZ) | Event | Location |
| 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Men's Final Four Fan Fest Presented by Capital One | Phoenix Convention Center |
| 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Tip-Off Tailgate Presented by Nissan | Great Lawn | State Farm Stadium |
| 3:00 p.m. | March Madness Music Festival: Coke Studio Live | Hance Park |
| 1:00 p.m. | Gates open for Semifinal Games | State Farm Stadium |
| 3:00 p.m.* | Semifinal Game 1 Tip-Off | State Farm Stadium |
| 5:30 p.m.* | Semifinal Game 2 Tip-Off | State Farm Stadium |
| SUNDAY, APRIL 7 | ||
| Time - MST (AZ) | Event | Location |
| 8:00 a.m. | Men's Final Four Dribble presented by Buick
| Heritage Square (Start Line) |
| 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Men's Final Four Fan Fest Presented by Capital One | Phoenix Convention Center |
| 2:30 p.m. | March Madness Music Festival: Capital One JamFest | Hance Park |
| MONDAY, APRIL 8 | ||
| Time - MST (AZ) | Event | Location |
| Noon - 6:00 p.m. | Men's Final Four Fan Fest Presented by Capital One | Phoenix Convention Center |
| 2:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Tip-Off Tailgate Presented by Nissan | Great Lawn | State Farm Stadium |
| 4:00 p.m. | Gates open for National Championship Game | State Farm Stadium |
| 6:20 p.m. | National Championship Tip-Off | State Farm Stadium |
March Madness 2024 FAQs
A. The Final Four is the semifinal round where the last four teams compete to reach the NCAA championship game.
A. The 2024 March Madness Final Four will be held from April 5 to April 8, with the championship match in Phoenix, State Farm Stadium.
A. The Final Four events will take place at State Farm Stadium for games and the Phoenix Convention Center for fan-related activities.
A. Gates opens for the semifinal games on Saturday, April 6, at 1:00 p.m. MST (AZ).
A. A March Madness Bracket is a prediction sheet where participants forecast the outcomes of games in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
