men's ncaa basketball tournament 2023 The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament , branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division I level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Played mostly during March, the tournament currently consists of 68 teams and was first conducted in 1939. Known for its upsets of favored teams, it has become one of the biggest annual sporting events in the US. men's ncaa basketball tournament schedule No. 2 Texas 71 , No. 10 Penn State 66 | Watch highlights No. 2 UCLA 68, No. 7 Northwestern 63 | Watch highlights No. 1 Alabama 73 , No. 8 Maryland 51 | Watch highlights Sunday, March 19 (Round of 32) No. 3 Xavier 84, No. 11 Pitt 73 | Watch highlights No. 3 Kansas State 75 , No. 6 Kentucky 69 | ...