At long last, March Madness is here.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday and Wednesday night with the First Four, as eight teams will compete across four games for the right to advance in the Big Dance.
And although fans may have their eyes set on Thursday’s slate of March Madness games, they would be unwise to write off the First Four. Since the First Four’s inception in 2011, a First Four team has gone onto win a game in the Round of 64 in every year but 2019.
Look no further than last season. Before it could pull off the ultimate March Madness upset and downed No. 1 Purdue, No. 16 Farleigh Dickinson had to oust Texas Southern in the First Four. An 84-61 victory for the Knights in Dayton set the stage for their eventual heroics.
What will this year bring? For one, due to a prevalence of ‘bid thieves’ throughout conference tournaments, four of the play-in teams are No. 10 seeds, rather than No. 11 seeds. If that’s any indication, this year’s First Four should bring plenty of action.
The Sporting News has you covered with everything that you need to know about the 2024 First Four, including the participants, start times and TV schedule for the event.
Who is in the First Four in 2024?
Eight teams will compete in the 2024 First Four. Two games will be between the four lowest-seeded at-large teams in the field of 68; the other two games are between the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifying teams, who won their respective conference championship.
All of the teams are listed below, with their corresponding seeds and records.
- No. 10 (Midwest Region): Virginia (23-10, 13-7 ACC)
- No. 10 (Midwest Region): Colorado State (24-10, 10-8 Mountain West)
- No. 10 (South Region): Boise State (22-10, 13-5 Mountain West)
- No. 10 (South Region): Colorado (24-10, 13-7 Pac-12)
- No. 16 (Midwest Region): Montana State (17-17, 9-9 Big Sky)
- No. 16 (Midwest Region): Grambling (20-14, 14-4 SWAC)
- No. 16 (West Region): Howard (18-16, 9-5 MEAC)
- No. 16 (West Region): Wagner (16-15, 7-9 NEC)
The First Four is highlighted by a pair of Mountain West schools (Boise State and Colorado State). Virginia, after falling in the semifinals of the ACC tournament to NC State, sneaks into the bracket. So does Colorado, which played its way into the field after advancing to the PAC-12 title game.
Among the 16 seeds, Grambling is set to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
NCAA First Four schedule, TV channel in 2024
Tuesday, March 19
| Date | Game | Region | Time (ET) | TV channel/Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 19 | 16 Wagner vs. 16 Howard | West | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV/Sling |
| March 19 | 10 Colorado State vs. 10 Virginia | Midwest | 9:10 | TruTV/Sling |
Wednesday, March 20
| Date | Game | Region | Time (ET) | TV channel/Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | 16 Gambling vs. 16 Montana State | Midwest | 6:40 p.m. | TruTV/Sling |
| March 20 | 10 Colorado vs. 10 Boise State | South | 9:10 p.m. | TruTV/Sling |
First Four games are available on TruTV and can also be streamed on Sling. Sling is the home for the avid sports fans, offering a range of sports channels so you can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.
Where is the NCAA First Four in 2024?
- Date: March 19 and March 20
- Location: University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio
Since 2011, the First Four has been held at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, in every year but 2021, when the NCAA Tournament was moved to Indiana due to COVID-19.
First Four tickets
- Tickets: StubHub
Tickets for the 2024 First Four are available on StubHub. For a complete rundown, visit the link below.
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