2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball national champion for the 2016–17 season. The 79th edition of the tournament began on March 14, 2017, and concluded with the championship game on April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The championship game was the first to be contested in a Western state since 1995 when Seattle was the host of the Final Four for that year.
In the Final Four, North Carolina beat Oregon while Gonzaga defeated South Carolina. North Carolina then defeated Gonzaga 71–65 to win the national championship.
Tournament procedures
A total of 68 teams entered the 2017 tournament, with all 32 conference tournament winners receiving an automatic bid. The Ivy League, which previously granted its automatic tournament bid to its regular season champion, hosted a postseason tournament to determine a conference champion for the first time. In previous years, had the Ivy League had two schools tied for first in the standings, a one-game playoff determined the automatic bid. On March 10, 2016, the Ivy League's council of presidents approved a four-team tournament where the top four teams in the regular season would play on March 11 and 12 at Philadelphia's Palestra.The remaining 36 teams received "at-large" bids which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. On January 24, 2016, the NCAA announced that the Selection Committee would, for the first time, unveil in-season rankings of the top four teams in each division on February 11, 2017.
Eight teams—the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams—played in the [|First Four]. The winners of these games advanced to the main draw of the tournament.
The Selection Committee also seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.
The committee's selections resulted in two historic milestones. The Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference made their first-ever NCAA Tournament in school history, officially becoming the last "power conference" school to make the tournament.. The Wildcats' First Round opponent, the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference, also made history: with a record of 19–15, they set the mark for the most ever losses for an at-large team in tournament history.
Four conference champions also made their first NCAA appearances: North Dakota, UC Davis, Jacksonville State, and first-year Division I school Northern Kentucky.
2017 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2017 tournamentFirst Four
- March 14 and 15
- *University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio
- March 16 and 18
- * Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
- * Bradley Center, Milwaukee
- * KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
- * Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City
- March 17 and 19
- * Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
- * BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- * Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina,
- * Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
- March 23 and 25
- *Midwest Regional, Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- *West Regional, SAP Center, San Jose, California
- March 24 and 26
- *East Regional, Madison Square Garden, New York City
- *South Regional, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
- April 1 and 3
- *University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
The tournament also saw a shift in location of first round games from Greensboro, North Carolina to Greenville, South Carolina. Greensboro originally was awarded First and Second Round games, but the games were relocated due to NCAA objections over North Carolina's passage of HB2. This was also the first time a South Carolina venue hosted the tournament in 15 years, after the state removed the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina State House grounds in July 2015 and the NCAA implemented a policy of not hosting championship games in the state in response to the display in 2002.
Qualification and selection
Eight teams, out of 351 in Division I, were ineligible to participate in the 2017 tournament due to failing to meet APR requirements, self-imposed postseason bans, or reclassification from a lower division. Hawaii had previously been banned from entering the tournament as a penalty for infractions, but the NCAA later reversed its ban.Automatic qualifiers
The following 32 teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2017 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid.Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
America East | Vermont | 6th | 2012 |
American | SMU | 12th | 2015 |
Atlantic 10 | Rhode Island | 9th | 1999 |
ACC | Duke | 41st | 2016 |
Atlantic Sun | Florida Gulf Coast | 3rd | 2016 |
Big 12 | Iowa State | 19th | 2016 |
Big East | Villanova | 37th | 2016 |
Big Sky | North Dakota | 1st | Never |
Big South | Winthrop | 10th | 2010 |
Big Ten | Michigan | 27th | 2016 |
Big West | UC Davis | 1st | Never |
CAA | UNC Wilmington | 6th | 2016 |
C-USA | Middle Tennessee | 9th | 2016 |
Horizon | Northern Kentucky | 1st | Never |
Ivy League | Princeton | 25th | 2011 |
MAAC | Iona | 12th | 2016 |
MAC | Kent State | 6th | 2008 |
MEAC | North Carolina Central | 2nd | 2014 |
Missouri Valley | Wichita State | 14th | 2016 |
Mountain West | Nevada | 7th | 2007 |
NEC | Mount St. Mary's | 5th | 2014 |
Ohio Valley | Jacksonville State | 1st | Never |
Pac-12 | Arizona | 34th | 2016 |
Patriot | Bucknell | 7th | 2013 |
SEC | Kentucky | 57th | 2016 |
Southern | East Tennessee State | 10th | 2010 |
Southland | New Orleans | 5th | 1996 |
SWAC | Texas Southern | 7th | 2015 |
Summit League | South Dakota State | 4th | 2016 |
Sun Belt | Troy | 2nd | 2003 |
WCC | Gonzaga | 20th | 2016 |
WAC | New Mexico State | 23rd | 2015 |
;Notes
Tournament seeds
Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
1 | Gonzaga | WCC | 32–1 | Auto | 4 |
2 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 30–4 | Auto | 6 |
3 | Florida State | ACC | 25–8 | At-Large | 10 |
4 | West Virginia | Big 12 | 26–8 | At-Large | 15 |
5 | Notre Dame | ACC | 25–9 | At-Large | 19 |
6 | Maryland | Big Ten | 24–8 | At-Large | 23 |
7 | Saint Mary's | WCC | 28–4 | At-Large | 25 |
8 | Northwestern | Big Ten | 23–11 | At-Large | 32 |
9 | Vanderbilt | SEC | 19–15 | At-Large | 33 |
10 | VCU | Atlantic 10 | 26–8 | At-Large | 40 |
11 | Xavier | Big East | 21–13 | At-Large | 41 |
12 | Princeton | Ivy League | 23–6 | Auto | 50 |
13 | Bucknell | Patriot | 26–8 | Auto | 51 |
14 | Florida Gulf Coast | Atlantic Sun | 26–7 | Auto | 56 |
15 | North Dakota | Big Sky | 22–9 | Auto | 62 |
16 | South Dakota State | Summit League | 18–16 | Auto | 64 |
Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
1 | Kansas | Big 12 | 28–4 | At-Large | 2 |
2 | Louisville | ACC | 24–8 | At-Large | 8 |
3 | Oregon | Pac-12 | 29–5 | At-Large | 9 |
4 | Purdue | Big Ten | 25–7 | At-Large | 16 |
5 | Iowa State | Big 12 | 23–10 | Auto | 20 |
6 | Creighton | Big East | 25–9 | At-Large | 24 |
7 | Michigan | Big Ten | 24–11 | Auto | 27 |
8 | Miami | ACC | 21–11 | At-Large | 30 |
9 | Michigan State | Big Ten | 19–14 | At-Large | 35 |
10 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 20–12 | At-Large | 37 |
11 | Rhode Island | Atlantic 10 | 24–9 | Auto | 44 |
12 | Nevada | Mountain West | 28–6 | Auto | 47 |
13 | Vermont | America East | 29–5 | Auto | 53 |
14 | Iona | MAAC | 22–12 | Auto | 58 |
15 | Jacksonville State | Ohio Valley | 20–14 | Auto | 61 |
16* | North Carolina Central | MEAC | 25–8 | Auto | 66 |
16* | UC Davis | Big West | 22–12 | Auto | 65 |
Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
1 | North Carolina | ACC | 27–7 | At-Large | 3 |
2 | Kentucky | SEC | 29–5 | Auto | 5 |
3 | UCLA | Pac-12 | 29–4 | At-Large | 11 |
4 | Butler | Big East | 23–8 | At-Large | 13 |
5 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 24–9 | At-Large | 18 |
6 | Cincinnati | American | 29–5 | At-Large | 22 |
7 | Dayton | Atlantic 10 | 24–7 | At-Large | 28 |
8 | Arkansas | SEC | 25–9 | At-Large | 31 |
9 | Seton Hall | Big East | 21–11 | At-Large | 34 |
10 | Wichita State | Missouri Valley | 30–4 | Auto | 38 |
11* | Kansas State | Big 12 | 20–13 | At-Large | 46 |
11* | Wake Forest | ACC | 19–13 | At-Large | 43 |
12 | Middle Tennessee | Conference USA | 30–4 | Auto | 48 |
13 | Winthrop | Big South | 26–6 | Auto | 54 |
14 | Kent State | MAC | 22–13 | Auto | 57 |
15 | Northern Kentucky | Horizon | 24–10 | Auto | 59 |
16 | Texas Southern | SWAC | 23–11 | Auto | 63 |
Bracket
All times are listed as Eastern Daylight TimeFirst Four – Dayton, Ohio
Game Summaries
East Regional – New York City, New York
East Regional First Round
East Regional Final
East Regional all tournament team
- Sindarius Thornwell – East Regional most outstanding player
- P. J. Dozier
- KeVaughn Allen
- Chris Chiozza
- Nigel Hayes
West Regional – San Jose, California
West Regional First Round
West Regional Final
West Regional all tournament team
- Johnathan Williams – West Regional most outstanding player
- Trevon Bluiett
- J. P. Macura
- Jordan Mathews
- Nigel Williams-Goss
Midwest Regional – Kansas City, Missouri
Midwest Regional First Round
Midwest Regional Final
Midwest Regional all tournament team
- Jordan Bell – Midwest Regional most outstanding player
- Frank Mason III
- Dillon Brooks
- Tyler Dorsey
- Josh Jackson
South Regional – Memphis, Tennessee
South Regional Final
South Regional all tournament team
- Luke Maye – South Regional most outstanding player
- De'Aaron Fox
- Isaac Humphries
- Joel Berry II
- Justin Jackson
Final Four
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Final four
National Championship
Final Four all-tournament team
- Joel Berry II – Final Four Most Outstanding Player
- Nigel Williams-Goss
- Justin Jackson
- Kennedy Meeks
- Zach Collins
Record by conference
- The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64, round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively.
- The "Record" column includes wins in the First Four for the Big 12, Big West, NEC, and Pac-12 conferences and losses in the First Four for the ACC and Big East conferences.
- The MEAC and Southland each had one representative, both eliminated in the First Four with a record of 0–1.
- The America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Horizon, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC, and WAC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the First Round with a record of 0–1.
Media coverage
Television
and Turner Sports held joint U.S. television broadcast rights to the Tournament under the NCAA March Madness brand. As part of a cycle beginning in 2016, CBS held rights to the Final Four and championship game. As CBS did not want its audience to be diffused across multiple outlets, there were no localized "Team Stream" telecasts of the Final Four or championship games on Turner channels as in previous years.Following criticism of the two-hour format of the 2016 edition, the Selection Sunday broadcast was shortened to 90 minutes. CBS Sports executive Harold Bryant promised that the unveiling of the bracket would be conducted in an "efficient" manner, and leave more time to discuss and preview the tournament.
- First Four – TruTV
- First and Second rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV
- Regional Semifinals and Finals – CBS and TBS
- National Semifinals and Championship – CBS
Studio hosts
- Greg Gumbel – First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Ernie Johnson Jr. – First Round, Second Round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Casey Stern – First Four, First Round and Second Round
- Adam Zucker – Final Four
Studio analysts
- Charles Barkley – First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Seth Davis – First Four, First Round, Second Round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Brendan Haywood – First Four, First Round, Second Round and Regional Semi-Finals
- Clark Kellogg – First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Jimmy Patsos – Second Round
- Bruce Pearl – First Round
- Kenny Smith – First Round, Second Round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Steve Smith – Final Four
- Wally Szczerbiak – First Four, Second Round
- Buzz Williams – Regional Semi-Finals
- Jay Wright – Final Four
Commentary teams
- Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson – First and Second Rounds at Indianapolis, Indiana; South Regional at Memphis, Tennessee; Final Four and National Championship at Glendale, Arizona
- Brian Anderson/Chris Webber or Clark Kellogg/Lewis Johnson – First Four at Dayton, Ohio ; First and Second Rounds at Greenville, South Carolina; West Regional at San Jose, California
- * Kellogg called the First Four with Webber doing the First, Second and Regionals.
- Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce – First and Second Rounds at Buffalo, New York; East Regional at New York City, New York
- Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner/Dana Jacobson – First and Second Rounds at Tulsa, Oklahoma; Midwest Regional at Kansas City, Missouri
- Ian Eagle/Steve Lavin/Evan Washburn – First and Second Rounds at Orlando, Florida
- Spero Dedes/Steve Smith/Len Elmore/Rosalyn Gold-Onwude – First Four at Dayton, Ohio ; First and Second Rounds at Sacramento, California
- Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/Jamie Erdahl – First and Second Rounds at Salt Lake City, Utah
- Carter Blackburn/Mike Gminski/Debbie Antonelli/Lisa Byington – First and Second Rounds at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Radio
First Four
- Ted Emrich and Austin Croshere – at Dayton, Ohio
First and Second rounds
- Scott Graham and Donny Marshall – Buffalo, New York
- Brandon Gaudin and Kelly Tripucka – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Tom McCarthy and Will Perdue – Orlando, Florida
- Kevin Kugler and Dan Dickau – Salt Lake City, Utah
- John Sadak and Eric Montross/John Thompson – Greenville, South Carolina
- Chris Carrino and Jim Jackson – Indianapolis, Indiana
- Craig Way and P. J. Carlesimo – Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Jason Benetti and Mike Montgomery – Sacramento, California
Regionals
- Ian Eagle and Donny Marshall – East Regional at New York City, New York
- Tom McCarthy and Will Purdue – Midwest Regional at Kansas City, Missouri
- Gary Cohen and P. J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Memphis, Tennessee
- Kevin Kugler and Jim Jackson – West Regional at San Jose, California
Final four
- Kevin Kugler, Clark Kellogg, and Jim Gray – Glendale, Arizona
Internet
Video
Live video of games was available for streaming through the following means:- NCAA March Madness Live
- CBS All Access
- CBS Sports website and app
- Bleacher Report website and Team Stream app
- Watch TBS website and app
- Watch TNT website and app
- Watch truTV website and app
- Websites and apps of cable, satellite, and OTT providers of CBS & Turner
Audio
- NCAA March Madness Live
- Westwood One Sports website
- TuneIn
- Websites and apps of Westwood One Sports affiliates