How long does March Madness last? Things you need to know ahead of the 2024 NCAA tournament

The 2024 March Madness NCAA basketball tournament is set to kick off next month.

March Madness is always one of the most anticipated events on the sports calendar every year, as it crowns the men's and women's NCAA basketball champions.

How long does March Madness last?

Once the field of 68 is set during Selection Sunday on March 17, the Men's March Madness begins with the First Four on March 19-20 with the championship game taking place on April 8.

The Women's March Madness also starts with the First Four on March 20-21, and their championship game takes place on April 7.

How many rounds are there in March Madness?

Both the Men's and Women's March Madness have seven rounds including the First Four games. Excluding those, the tournament has six rounds.

The Men's March Madness schedule is as follows:

• Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 17
• First Four: March 19-20
• First round: March 21-22
• Second round: March 23-24
• Sweet 16: March 28-29
• Elite Eight: March 30-31
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Women's March Madness schedule is as follows:

• Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 17
• First Four: March 20-21
• First round: March 22-23
• Second round: March 24-25
• Sweet 16: March 29-30
• Elite Eight: March 31-April 1
• Final Four: Friday, April 5, at 7:30 and 9 p.m. ET
• NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. ET

How many minutes is March Madness half?

Just like regular season games, Men's March Madness features two 20 minute halves. Each team has three timeouts in both halves. Two of the timeouts from 1H can be carried to the second, making it one mandatory timeout for every team on both sides of the break.

Women's March Madness also continues the same format from its regular season, with four quarters, lasting 10 minutes each.

When is the first round of March Madness in 2024?

The first round of the Men's March Madness is set for March 21 and 22, while the Women's first round is set for March 22 and 23.

Men's current rankings

As of Feb. 6, the AP Top 25 rankings for men's college basketball is as follows:

1. UConn (20-2)
2. Purdue (21-2)
3. North Carolina (18-4)
4. Kansas (18-4)
5. Houston (19-3)
6. Tennessee (16-5)
7. Marquette (17-5)
8. Arizona (17-5)
9. Duke (16-5)
10. Illinois (17-5)
11. Wisconsin (16-6)
12. Auburn (18-4)
13. Baylor (16-5)
14. Iowa State (16-5)
15. South Carolina (19-3)
16. Alabama (16-6)
17. Kentucky (15-6)
18. Dayton (18-3)
19. Creighton (16-6)
20. Florida Atlantic (18-4)
21. BYU (16-5)
22. Utah State (19-3)
23. Texas Tech (16-5)
24. San Diego State (17-5)
25. New Mexico (18-4)

Women's current rankings

The current AP Top 25 poll for women's basketball is as follows:

1. South Carolina (21-0)
2. Iowa (21-2)
3. North Carolina State (19-2)
4. Colorado (19-3)
5. Ohio State (19-3)
6. Stanford (20-3)
7. Texas (21-3)
8. Kansas State (20-3)
9. UCLA (17-4)
10. USC (16-4)
11. UConn (19-4)
12. Notre Dame (17-4)
13. LSU (19-4)
14. Indiana (18-3)
15. Louisville (19-3)
16. Virginia Tech (18-4)
17. Oregon State (17-3)
18. Baylor (17-4)
19. Gonzaga (22-2)
20. Utah (17-6)
21. Creighton (18-3)
22. West Virginia (19-2)
23. Syracuse (18-4)
24. Oklahoma (15-6)
25. Princeton (17-3)