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College basketball’s Judgment Day has finally arrived – or, as fans call it, Draft Sunday.
The NCAA Tournament selection show is the last thing between teams and their place in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. For some teams, it’s simply a matter of seeding. Still others are on the edge of their seat, hoping their resume is good enough to secure them entry.
Between the regional breakdowns, surprising entrances, snubs, fascinating early-round matchups, and all the drama those storylines entail, it’s no wonder this is one of the most impactful — and suspenseful — hours ever. – of the season.
Whether your teams are safe in or on the bubble – or if you’re just a curious objective observer – The Sporting News has you covered on everything you need to know about Selection Sunday 2022:
MORE: Watch Selection Sunday, Select NCAA Tournament Games Live with fuboTV (Free Trial)
When is the 2022 Selection Sunday?
- Dated: Sunday March 13
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
The 2022 Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 13. The official bracket reveal is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, but may be delayed until the end of the conference final tournament to be played that day (which will not only affect the standings, but also determine the automatic bidding for March Madness). The last tip of the day will be the Big Ten Tournament Championship, at 3:30 p.m.
On which channel is the March Madness selection broadcast?
CBS will air the NCAA selection show, which can also be streamed via NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+ and fuboTV (which offers a free trial).
MORE: Central March Madness
2022 NCAA Tournament Selection Format
The 2022 NCAA Tournament will feature 68 teams at its start: 32 Automatic Qualifiers (i.e. teams that win their respective Conference Tournament Championships) and 36 General Qualifiers. That mark was 31-37 last year, respectively, after the Ivy League decided to cancel its conference tournament following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee does not have a hard and fast rule for determining seeding, but takes things like record, schedule strength, NET and RPI to determine seeding. The committee also uses the S-curve to seed teams 1-68 in a meandering pattern. Thus, the top four teams (1-4) would be the No. 1 seeds in each of their respective regions. Teams numbered 5-8 would be seeded 2 in their regions, and so on.
The committee attempts to place teams into regions based on their position on the S-curve, but must consider several factors with respect to seeding, including prioritizing shorter travel distance for teams that are higher in the rankings. In 2021, because the entire tournament was held in the state of Indiana, the committee did not need to consider things like geographic preferences. It was, in a sense, the highest ranked tournament in March Madness history.
March Madness Slice Predictions
Here are the top four projected seeds for each region, according to the latest predictions from Bill Bender of The Sporting News:
- 1-seeds: Gonzaga, Arizona, Auburn, Kansas
- 2 seeds: Kentucky, Baylor, Duke, Wisconsin
- 3 seeds: Villanova, Purdue, Providence, TN
- 4 seeds: Texas Tech, UCLA, Illinois, Arkansas
MORE: Tips for Filling Your March Madness Bracket
2022 NCAA Tournament Schedule
The top four in the 2022 NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 15 and ends the following day, March 16. The first round proper takes place from March 17 to 18; the second round is March 19-20; the Sweet 16 will take place on March 24 and 25; the Elite Eight runs from March 26-27; the Final Four will take place on April 2 and the national championship game will take place on April 4.
| Round | Appointment |
| first four | March 15-16 |
| Round 1 | March 17-18 |
| 2nd round | March 19-20 |
| Sweet 16 | March 24-25 |
| Elite Eight | March 26-27 |
| Final square | April 2 |
| national championship | April 4 |
When will the first oven be?
Eight teams – the four lowest-ranked automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-ranked general offers – will play in four “top four” games on Tuesday March 15 and Wednesday March 16. The winners of these matches will advance to complete the final 64-team bracket.
- Dated: March 15-16
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV channel: truTV
- Direct: NCAA March Madness Live, Sling TV
When is the Final Four?
March Madness in 2022 will conclude with the Final Four and National Championship games in New Orleans. The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 2. The national championship game will take place on Monday, April 4.
- Appointment: April 2, 4
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV channel: TBS
- Direct: NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+, Sling TV
first four
tuesday march 15
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 6:30 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | truTV |
Wednesday March 16
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 6:30 p.m. | truTV |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | truTV |
Round 1
Thursday March 17
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | Midday | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
Friday 18th March
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | Midday | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
2nd round
Saturday March 19
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | Midday | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
Sunday March 20
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | Midday | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS |
Sweet 16
Thursday March 24
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 7 p.m. | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
Friday March 25
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 7 p.m. | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS, SCS |
Elite Eight
Saturday March 26
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 6 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS |
Sunday March 27
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 2 p.m. | SCS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | SCS |
Final square
saturday april 2
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD versus TBD | 6 p.m. | TBS |
| TBD versus TBD | To be determined | TBS |
national championship
Monday april 4th
| Game | Time | TV |
| TBD against TBD | 9 p.m. | TBS |
