When does March Madness start? Dates and locations to know for 2024 NCAA Tournaments

It's getting close to March Madness time.

The men's and women's NCAA Tournament fields have begun to take shape, with teams securing automatic bids through conference tournaments. In less than a week, the brackets for both 68-team tournaments will be released, setting the stage for one of the most thrilling events in North American sports.

And there will be no shortage of college basketball storylines to follow in 2024 March Madness. Can Angel Reese and LSU make it back to the mountaintop? Will South Carolina regain the national title? And does Caitlin Clark have another magical March run in her?

On the men's side, can UConn become the first team since Florida from 2006-07 to repeat as champions? How do Zach Edey and Purdue respond to last year's historic upset defeat at the hands of No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson?

As the anticipation for March Madness starts to ramp up, here are the dates and locations to know for this year's NCAA Tournaments:

When do March Madness brackets start?

Brackets for the men's and women's tournaments will be released on Selection Sunday.

When is Selection Sunday in 2024?

Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 17. For information on when the brackets will be revealed and how to watch, click here.

When does March Madness start in 2024?

The March Madness action kicks off a few days after selection Sunday, with the men's First Four from March 19-20 and the women's First Four from March 20-21.

What are the dates for March Madness 2024?

Here's a full look at the schedule for both tournaments:

Men's

• 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: April 6
• Championship game: April 8

Women's

• 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: April 5
• Championship game: April 7

What are the March Madness locations in 2024?

Teams in the men's bracket will be hoping their season ends at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the site of this year's Final Four. The women's champion, meanwhile, will be crowned at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

Here's a full look at the March Madness host sites for each tournament (the top 16 seeds in the women's tournament will be the hosts for First Four, first-round and second-round games):

Men's

• First Four: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
• First/second rounds: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York), Spectrum Center (Charlotte, North Carolina), Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis), CHI Health Center (Omaha, Nebraska), PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh), Vivint Smart Home Arena (Salt Lake City), Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane, Washington), FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee)
• East Regional: TD Garden (Boston)
• South Regional: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
• Midwest Regional: Little Ceasars Arena (Detroit)
• West Regional: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
• Final Four: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

Women's

• Sweet 16/Elite Eight: Times Union Center (Albany, New York), Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
• Final Four: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (Cleveland)