NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's Selection Sunday — the beginnings of the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association March Madness tournament.
The 68 teams have been revealed!
There are 32 teams who automatically qualify for the field after winning their conference tournaments, and 36 teams who are at-large selections picked by the NCAA committee.
Where are the Vols?
The University of Tennessee men's basketball team were fifth-ranked going into the Southeastern Conference Tournament. It was the first time Tennessee had been the no. 1 seed since the SEC revived the tournament in 1979 — the Vols reached the SEC Tournament final in three of the five past events.
However, they lost in the SEC quarterfinals Friday afternoon to ninth-seeded Mississippi State, 73-56, after trying to make a comeback following a tough first half.
Now, Tennessee gets the two seed in the Midwest region for the NCAA. The Vols (24-8) are playing No. 15 Saint Peter's (19-13) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA.
The potential next competitors for the Vols are the no. 7 seed, Texas (20-12), and Virginia (23-10) and Colorado State (24-10).
When are the tournament matches?
- March 17: Selection Sunday
- March 19-20: First Four
- March 21-22: First round
- March 23-24: Second round
- March 28-29: Sweet 16
- March 30-31: Elite Eight
- April 6: Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix
- April 8: Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
