By OkayGoal
Are you ready to root for your alma mater or favorite college? The time for exciting collegiate action is soon to be at center stage. The NCAA Championship Tournament is fast approaching so let’s prepare ourselves by looking at important dates and what the tournament consists of.
What You Need to Know
The 64-team tournament is set to kickoff on November 20 and conclude on December 13. Since regular season play just started, there is about 3 months until the public will know who the 33 “bubble teams” are. This means there will be 33 teams that will be selected for the NCAA tournament based on regular season play.
The other 31 teams earn guaranteed spots in the tournament after winning their conference championships. Stay alert for the first week of November as that is when conference tournaments will begin and the 31 guaranteed squads will be determined.
The selection show, where all 64 teams and the ranking of the top 32 teams for the NCAA tournament are revealed, is set to air on November 16. The 32 seeded teams have home field advantage during the first round. All teams are organized into 4 brackets consisting of 16 teams to start with. Each match is an elimination game, so the tournament moves at a fast pace.
Below are when each phase of the NCAA tournament will take place.
First Round: November 20-22
Second & Third Round: November 26-29
Quarterfinals: December 4-5
Women’s College Cup Semifinals: December 10
National Championship Match: December 13
Be sure to mark your calendars when November comes around!
Featured image via @ugasoccer