The 2024 March Madness is set to tip off on Tuesday with two exciting First Four matchups to decide the four schools that will compete in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Starting the festivities is the clash between Wagner (16-15) and Howard (18-16) for the No. 16 seed in the West Region. The winner will face No. 1-seed North Carolina on Thursday.
In the second game, Colorado State (24-10) and Virginia (23-10) will mix it up for the No. 10 seed in the Midwest and the right to take on the No. 7-seed Texas Longhorns in Charlotte.
On Wednesday, Grambling (20-14) takes on Montana State (17-17) for the No. 16 seed, with the winner battling top seed Purdue in the Midwest Regional in Detroit.
In the second matchup, Colorado (24-10) and Boise State (22-10) will collide for the No. 10 seed and the right to face seventh-seed Florida in the South Regional first round in Dallas, Texas.
Watching the games live in the stands is exciting as you can feel the heat and the tension that is boiling inside the court. Currently, fans are rushing to get available First Four 2024 tickets, as the four matchups determine the squads that will complete the 64-team field in the NCAA Tournament.
How to buy First Four March Madness 2024 tickets?
Fans can buy First Four March Madness tickets on Ticketmaster and secondary ticket sites StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.
According to Ticketmaster, First Four tickets average around the $100 mark, with prices ranging between $42 and $500.
What are the cheapest First Four tickets?
Among the three secondary ticket sites, StubHub offers the cheapest all-sessions pass at $71. On the other hand, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek offer all-session tickets at $86 per person.
If fans want to buy just the first session, SeatGeek sells the lowest rates at $33, while Vivid Seats and StubHub offer ticket prices of $35 and $38, respectively.
Meanwhile, second-session tickets are cheaper, with Vivid Seats and SeatGeek offering a pass to the games at $29 while StubHub sells it for $31.
Does the First Four count in March Madness?
Since the NCAA expanded the number of schools competing in the tournament from 64 to 68 in 2011, the First Four has been the kick-off party for March Madness. The winners of the First Four will advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Two First Four teams went straight to the Final Four. Those schools were the Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 and UCLA in 2021.
First Four March Madness 2024 schedule
The First Four starts on Tuesday at the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, with Wagner taking on Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET. The main offering will pit Colorado State and Virginia at 9:10 p.m. ET.
On Wednesday, Grambling and Montana State will begin the second session at 6:40 p.m. ET, followed by the Colorado-Boise State encounter at 9:10 p.m. ET.
The First Four matches will be broadcast on TruTV, while the livestream is available on Paramount+, Hulu, the NCAA March Madness Live app, DirecTV Stream and Fubo.
Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here