The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is referred to as the NCAA March Madness. The NCAA basketball champion for the year is decided in this tournament by a single-elimination system. The competition, which was first conducted in 1939, is primarily held from mid-March to early April, with 68 teams competing to win the title.
The 32 conference champion teams and the 36 teams, who are chosen via a day-long event known as "Selection Sunday," kick off the tournament. Following that, they are separated into four regions and seeded from 1 to 16. Three weeks are dedicated to the tournament. The First Four is where the eight teams compete. Four of these winners then advance to the first and second rounds of the competition. The Sweet Sixteen regional semifinals and the Elite Eight finals are held over the second weekend. The national semifinals' third weekend is when the Final Four are held. The team that is left standing is crowned the year's national champion after the championship game in April.
The 2025 March Madness will also follow the same format to determine the national championship for the year. From March 18, 2025, to April 7, 2025, it will take place at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Discover: When does March Madness start?
Teams with the Most March Madness Championships
With 11 national titles, the UCLA Bruins, representing the University of California, Los Angeles, continue to hold the record, despite not having won the tournament since 1995. Kentucky is in second place with eight championships, followed by North Carolina with six. Others, like Indiana and Duke, are right behind with five apiece.
| School | National titles | Most recent | Runner-up finishes |
| UCLA | 11 | 1995 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 2012 | 4 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 2017 | 5 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 2024 | 0 |
| Duke | 5 | 2015 | 6 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1987 | 1 |
| Kansas | 4 | 2022 | 6 |
| Villanova | 3 | 2018 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 2 | 1962 | 1 |
| Florida | 2 | 2007 | 1 |
| Louisville | 2 | 1986 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 2 | 2000 | 1 |
| North Carolina State | 2 | 1983 | 0 |
| Oklahoma State | 2 | 1946 | 0 |
| San Francisco | 2 | 1956 | 0 |
| Arizona | 1 | 1997 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 1994 | 1 |
| Baylor | 1 | 2021 | 1 |
| California | 1 | 1959 | 1 |
| City College of New York | 1 | 1950 | 0 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 1984 | 3 |
| Holy Cross | 1 | 1947 | 0 |
| La Salle | 1 | 1954 | 0 |
| Loyola (Ill.) | 1 | 1963 | 0 |
| Marquette | 1 | 1977 | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 | 2002 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1960 | 4 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1939 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 1942 | 0 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 2003 | 2 |
| UNLV | 1 | 1990 | 0 |
| Utah | 1 | 1944 | 1 |
| Texas El-Paso | 1 | 1966 | 0 |
| Virginia | 1 | 2019 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1941 | 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1943 | 0 |
Which team has won the most NCAA Tournament games?
UCLA continues to lead the nation in national titles, but it does not lead the nation in NCAA Tournament victories. The Wildcats have recently surpassed North Carolina to claim the record for the most victories. But the Tar Heels are still very much in reach, and Duke is not far behind them.
| School | Wins | Losses | Winning percentage |
| Kentucky | 132 | 56 | .702 |
| North Carolina | 132 | 49 | .729 |
| Duke | 119 | 40 | .748 |
| Kansas | 117 | 49 | .704 |
| UCLA | 115 | 45 | .719 |
Kentucky and UCLA, in the above table, are included with their vacated titles.
Discover: How can I watch March Madness?
Which March Madness game has the highest score ever?
On March 18, 1990, Loyola Marymount defeated Michigan by a final score of 149-115 to collect 264 points, setting the record for the highest-scoring game in NCAA tournament history. That score is far higher than Loyola Marymount's second-place total of 234 as per NCAA.
| Points | WT | Score | LT | Score | Year |
| 264 | Loyola Marymount | 149 | Michigan | 115 | 1990 |
| 234 | Loyola Marymount | 119 | Wyoming | 115 | 1988 |
| 232 | UNLV | 131 | Loyola Marymount | 101 | 1990 |
| 221 | Arkansas | 120 | Loyola Marymount | 101 | 1989 |
| 220 | UNC | 123 | Loyola Marymount | 97 | 1988 |
| 216 | West Virginia | 111 | Wake Forest | 105 | 2005 |
| 214 | Tulsa | 112 | UCLA | 102 | 1994 |
| 207 | Duke | 104 | Kentucky | 103 | 1992 |
| 207 | Tennessee | 121 | Long Beach State | 86 | 2007 |
| 206 | UNC | 109 | Michigan | 97 | 1987 |
| 206 | Oklahoma | 108 | Louisville | 98 | 1988 |
FAQ's on March Madness
A. The 2025 March Madness runs from March 18 to April 7 at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
A. Sixty-eight teams compete in the single-elimination tournament, aiming to be crowned the NCAA Division I men's basketball champion.
A. UCLA holds the record with eleven championships, followed by Kentucky with eight and North Carolina with six.
A. Loyola Marymount vs. Michigan in 1990 holds the record with a combined score of 264 points, ending 149-115 in Loyola Marymount's favor.
