2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2020–21 season. The 82nd edition of the tournament began play on March 18, 2021 in sites around the state of Indiana,^[1] and concluded with the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 5, with the Baylor Bears defeating the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs 86–70 to earn the team's first ever title.

2021 NCAA Division I
men's basketball tournament

Season	2020–21
Teams	68 (including one that did not play)
Finals site	Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana
Champions	Baylor Bears (1st title, 2nd title game, 3rd Final Four)
Runner-up	Gonzaga Bulldogs (2nd title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	Houston Cougars (6th Final Four) UCLA Bruins (19th Final Four)
Winning coach	Scott Drew (1st title)
MOP	Jared Butler (Baylor)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments «2020 2022»

For logistical considerations surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the cancellation of the previous year's tournament), the NCAA announced in January 2021 that all tournament games would be held in Indiana rather than at sites across the country. This was the first (and only) time in the history of the tournament that a single state has hosted it in its entirety.^[2]

This marked the first time since 1976 that neither Duke nor Kentucky qualified for the tournament.^[3] It was also the first time since 1995 that Duke failed to make the tournament, breaking a streak of 24 consecutive appearances. America East champion Hartford and WAC champion Grand Canyon made their NCAA Tournament debuts.

The tournament was marked by many upsets, with Yahoo Sports journalist Pete Thamel calling it "one of the most dizzying NCAA men's tournaments in history". With only half of the 16 second-round games having been played, there had been 11 upsets to that point, using the NCAA's definition of "upset" as a win by a team seeded five or more lines below its defeated opponent. This had already broken the record for most upsets prior to the round of 16; by the end of the second round, this number went up to 12. In addition, at least one 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 seed won a first-round game for the fourth time ever, and the first time since 2016. Also, a record four teams seeded 13 or lower won first-round games.^[4] Another notable mark set during the tournament was a record-breaking 14 upsets throughout the event, breaking the original record of 13 upsets from the 1985 and 2014 tournaments.

The Final Four game between UCLA and Gonzaga (the first semifinal game to go into overtime since 1998) saw a game-winning buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs to take Gonzaga into the championship game, the first buzzer-beater in a national semifinal since 1977. By defeating Gonzaga in the championship game, the Baylor Bears became the second consecutive first-time NCAA champions, following the Virginia Cavaliers in 2019. The last time this happened was in 2002 and 2003, when the Maryland Terrapins and Syracuse Orange (then nicknamed Orangemen) won their first titles in their respective years. Baylor also joined Texas Western (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso) as the only two teams from the state of Texas to have won an NCAA Division I Basketball championship, the Miners having done so in 1966.

Tournament procedure

Further information: NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament § Current tournament format

A total of 68 teams entered the 2021 tournament, with 31 of them (down from 32, due to the Ivy League having canceled all winter semester sports due to COVID-19)^[5] having received an automatic bid by winning their conference's tournament. The remaining 37 bids were "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Teams met sport sponsorship requirements and were considered for NCAA championship selection if they played 13 games, which represented a 50 percent reduction of the current minimum. For NCAA championship consideration, all 13 games had to be against other Division I opponents. Teams could also play 12 regular-season games against Division I opponents and one conference tournament game to be eligible for tournament consideration.^[6]

The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 68. The four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams played in the First Four round: for the 2021 tournament, the games were played between the overall 65th and 66th seeds, the 67th and 68th seed, and the last four at-large seeds.^[7]

The top four teams outside of the ranking (commonly known as the "first four out" in pre-tourney analyses) acted as standbys in the event a school was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols.^[8][9] However, if a team withdrew within 48 hours of the tournament's commencement, they would not be replaced; the bracket was not reseeded, and the affected team's opponent would automatically advance to the next round.^[10]

Schedule and venues

 

2021 NCAA tournament venues

 

Gonzaga vs. University of Southern California at Lucas Oil Stadium

On January 4, 2021, the NCAA announced that due to logistical considerations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (which prompted the cancellation of the 2020 tournament), the entirety of the tournament would be conducted at sites within the Indianapolis metro area and central Indiana, rather than across the country.^[11] Players stayed at hotels near the Indiana Convention Center, which served as the main practice facility.^[12]

On February 19, it was announced that all venues would operate at a maximum of 25% capacity. As this capacity includes staff and players, the exact number of spectators varied by venue.^[13][14] Artificial crowd noise was used at all venues to augment the limited in-person attendance.^[15]

This tournament marked the first time ever that Indiana Farmers Coliseum was a tournament venue, the first time since 2017 that Bankers Life Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1940 that Hinkle Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1980 that Mackey Arena was a tournament venue, and the first time since 1981 that Assembly Hall was a tournament venue.

First Four:

• Thursday, March 18
  • Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana (Host: Purdue University)
  • Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana (Host: Indiana University Bloomington)

First and Second Rounds:

• Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20
  • Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana (Host: Purdue University)
  • Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana (Host: Indiana University Bloomington)
  • Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
  • Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
  • Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: IUPUI)
  • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Two Courts) (Unity And Equality) (Hosts: IUPUI/Horizon League)
• Sunday, March 21 and Monday, March 22
  • Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
  • Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
  • Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: IUPUI)
  • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Two Courts) (Unity And Equality) (Hosts: IUPUI/Horizon League)

Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight):

• Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28
  • Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
  • Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
• Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30
  • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Two Courts) (Unity And Equality) (Hosts: IUPUI/Horizon League)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship):

• Saturday, April 3 and Monday, April 5
  • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Hosts: IUPUI/Horizon League)

Original 2021 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues

 

2021 First Four (orange) and First and Second Rounds (green) as originally selected.

 

2021 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red) as originally selected.

The following sites were originally selected to host each round of the 2021 tournament;^[16] with the exceptions of Boise and Minneapolis, all cities and venues listed are scheduled to host tournament games after 2021:

First Four

• March 16 and 17
  • University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)

First and Second Rounds

• March 18 and 20
  • Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island (Host: Providence College)
  • ExtraMile Arena, Boise, Idaho (Host: Boise State University)
  • Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan (Hosts: University of Detroit Mercy/Oakland University)
  • American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (Host: Big 12 Conference)
• March 19 and 21
  • Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas (Host: Wichita State University)
  • Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky)
  • PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina (Host: North Carolina State University)
  • SAP Center, San Jose, California (Host: West Coast Conference)

Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

• March 25 and 27
  • Midwest Regional, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Host: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)
  • West Regional, Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado (Host: Mountain West Conference)
• March 26 and 28
  • South Regional, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee (Host: University of Memphis)
  • East Regional, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (Host: Atlantic 10 Conference)

National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship)

• April 3 and 5
  • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Hosts: IUPUI/Horizon League)

Qualification and selection

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament qualifying teams

Automatic qualifiers

Conference	Team	Appearance	Last bid
America East	Hartford	1st	Never
American	Houston	22nd	2019
Atlantic 10	St. Bonaventure	8th	2018
ACC	Georgia Tech	17th	2010
ASUN	Liberty	5th	2019
Big 12	Texas	35th	2018
Big East	Georgetown	31st	2015
Big Sky	Eastern Washington	3rd	2015
Big South	Winthrop	11th	2017
Big Ten	Illinois	31st	2013
Big West	UC Santa Barbara	6th	2011
CAA	Drexel	5th	1996
C-USA	North Texas	4th	2010
Horizon	Cleveland State	3rd	2009
Ivy League	Season not played
MAAC	Iona	15th	2019
MAC	Ohio	14th	2012
MEAC	Norfolk State	2nd	2012
Missouri Valley	Loyola Chicago	7th	2018
Mountain West	San Diego State	13th	2018
NEC	Mount St. Mary's	6th	2017
Ohio Valley	Morehead State	8th	2011
Pac-12	Oregon State	15th	2016
Patriot	Colgate	4th	2019
SEC	Alabama	22nd	2018
Southern	UNC Greensboro	4th	2018
Southland	Abilene Christian	2nd	2019
SWAC	Texas Southern	9th	2018
Summit League	Oral Roberts	6th	2008
Sun Belt	Appalachian State	3rd	2000
WAC	Grand Canyon	1st	Never
WCC	Gonzaga	23rd	2019

Tournament seeds

The tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process.

In contrast to previous years, the S-Curve used to establish overall seeds will also be used as primary determinant of the tournament bracket; this was made possible by the relatively condensed locations of this year's tournament making geographic concerns irrelevant. However, rules that can modify pairings to avoid early rematches and to distribute top conference representatives to different regions will remain in effect.^[17][18]

West Regional Seed School Conference Record Overall Seed Berth type 1 Gonzaga West Coast 26–0 1 Automatic 2 Iowa Big Ten 21–8 7 At-Large 3 Kansas Big 12 20–8 12 At-Large 4 Virginia ACC 18–6 16 At-Large 5 Creighton Big East 20–8 17 At-Large 6 USC Pac-12 22–7 21 At-Large 7 Oregon Pac-12 20–6 25 At-Large 8 Oklahoma Big 12 15–10 32 At-Large 9 Missouri SEC 16–9 33 At-Large 10 VCU Atlantic 10 19–7 38 At-Large 11* Wichita State American 16–5 45 At-Large Drake Missouri Valley 25–4 48 At-Large 12 UC Santa Barbara Big West 22–4 50 Automatic 13 Ohio MAC 16–7 51 Automatic 14 Eastern Washington Big Sky 16–7 58 Automatic 15 Grand Canyon WAC 17–6 59 Automatic 16* Norfolk State MEAC 16–7 67 Automatic Appalachian State Sun Belt 17–11 68 Automatic

East Regional Seed School Conference Record Overall Seed Berth type 1 Michigan Big Ten 20–4 4 At-Large 2 Alabama SEC 24–6 5 Automatic 3 Texas Big 12 19–7 11 Automatic 4 Florida State ACC 16–6 13 At-Large 5 Colorado Pac-12 22–8 20 At-Large 6 BYU West Coast 20–6 23 At-Large 7 UConn Big East 15–7 26 At-Large 8 LSU SEC 18–9 29 At-Large 9 St. Bonaventure Atlantic 10 16–4 39 Automatic 10 Maryland Big Ten 16–13 36 At-Large 11* Michigan State Big Ten 15–12 43 At-Large UCLA Pac-12 17–9 44 At-Large 12 Georgetown Big East 13–12 47 Automatic 13 UNC Greensboro Southern 21–8 54 Automatic 14 Abilene Christian Southland 23–4 55 Automatic 15 Iona MAAC 12–5 62 Automatic 16* Mount St. Mary's Northeast 12–10 65 Automatic Texas Southern SWAC 16–8 66 Automatic

South Regional Seed School Conference Record Overall Seed Berth type 1 Baylor Big 12 22–2 2 At-Large 2 Ohio State Big Ten 21–9 6 At-Large 3 Arkansas SEC 22–6 9 At-Large 4 Purdue Big Ten 18–9 14 At-Large 5 Villanova Big East 16–6 18 At-Large 6 Texas Tech Big 12 17–10 22 At-Large 7 Florida SEC 14–9 28 At-Large 8 North Carolina ACC 18–10 31 At-Large 9 Wisconsin Big Ten 17–12 35 At-Large 10 Virginia Tech ACC 15–6 37 At-Large 11 Utah State Mountain West 20–8 42 At-Large 12 Winthrop Big South 23–1 49 Automatic 13 North Texas C-USA 17–9 52 Automatic 14 Colgate Patriot 14–1 57 Automatic 15 Oral Roberts Summit 16–10 61 Automatic 16 Hartford America East 15–8 64 Automatic

Midwest Regional Seed School Conference Record Overall Seed Berth type 1 Illinois Big Ten 23–6 3 Automatic 2 Houston American 24–3 8 Automatic 3 West Virginia Big 12 18–9 10 At-Large 4 Oklahoma State Big 12 20–8 15 At-Large 5 Tennessee SEC 18–8 19 At-Large 6 San Diego State Mountain West 23–4 24 Automatic 7 Clemson ACC 16–7 27 At-Large 8 Loyola Chicago Missouri Valley 24–4 30 Automatic 9 Georgia Tech ACC 17–8 34 Automatic 10 Rutgers Big Ten 15–11 40 At-Large 11 Syracuse ACC 16–9 41 At-Large 12 Oregon State Pac-12 17–12 46 Automatic 13 Liberty Atlantic Sun 23–5 53 Automatic 14 Morehead State Ohio Valley 23–7 56 Automatic 15 Cleveland State Horizon 19–7 60 Automatic 16 Drexel Colonial 12–7 63 Automatic

*See First Four

Tournament bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

Note: Unlike past tournaments, teams are not grouped as pods. Second round games will match teams that played at different venues in the first round.

First Four – Bloomington and West Lafayette

The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.

	March 18 – West Regional Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
	16	Norfolk State	54
	16	Appalachian State	53

	March 18 – West Regional Mackey Arena
	11	Wichita State	52
	11	Drake	53

	March 18 – East Regional Mackey Arena
	11	Michigan State	80
	11	UCLA	86*

	March 18 – East Regional Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
	16	Mount St. Mary's	52
	16	Texas Southern	60

West Regional

	First round Round of 64 Saturday, March 20					Second Round Round of 32 Monday, March 22					Regional semifinals Sweet 16 Sunday, March 28					Regional Final/Elite 8 Tuesday, March 30 (Lucas Oil Stadium)
	1	Gonzaga	98
	16	Norfolk State	55
						1	Gonzaga	87
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/16) Lucas Oil Stadium (8/9)
						8	Oklahoma	71
	8	Oklahoma	72
	9	Missouri	68
											1	Gonzaga	83
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/8 and 5/13)
											5	Creighton	65
	5	Creighton	63
	12	UC Santa Barbara	62
						5	Creighton	72
	Lucas Oil Stadium (5/12) Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (4/13)
						13	Ohio	58
	4	Virginia	58
	13	Ohio	62
																1	Gonzaga	85
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/5) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (6/7)
																6	USC	66
	6	USC	72
	11	Drake	56
						6	USC	85
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (6/11) Indiana Farmers Coliseum (3/14)
						3	Kansas	51
	3	Kansas	93
	14	Eastern Washington	84
											6	USC	82
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/3) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (7/2)
											7	Oregon	68
	7	Oregon	WO
	10	VCU^[A]
						7	Oregon	95
	Indiana Farmers Coliseum (7/10 and 2/15)
						2	Iowa	80
	2	Iowa	86
	15	Grand Canyon	74

West Regional Final

TBS

March 30 7:15 pm EDT

Box score

#6 USC Trojans 66, #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 85
Scoring by half: 30–49, 36–36
Pts: I. Mobley, 19 Rebs: I. Mobley, 7 Asts: I. Mobley, E. Mobley, 3		Pts: D. Timme, 23 Rebs: J. Suggs, 10 Asts: J. Suggs, 8

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 6,166 Referees: Randy McCall, Doug Shows, Bert Smith, Tony Henderson ^[20]

West Regional all tournament team

• Drew Timme, Gonzaga (MOP)
• Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
• Evan Mobley, USC
• Isaiah Mobley, USC
• Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga

East Regional

	First round Round of 64 Saturday, March 20					Second Round Round of 32 Monday, March 22					Regional semifinals Sweet 16 Sunday, March 28					Regional Final/Elite 8 Tuesday, March 30 (Lucas Oil Stadium)
	1	Michigan	82
	16	Texas Southern	66
						1	Michigan	86
	Mackey Arena (1/16) Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (8/9)
						8	LSU	78
	8	LSU	76
	9	St. Bonaventure	61
											1	Michigan	76
	Lucas Oil Stadium (1/8) Indiana Farmers Coliseum (5/4)
											4	Florida State	58
	5	Colorado	96
	12	Georgetown	73
						5	Colorado	53
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (5/12) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (4/13)
						4	Florida State	71
	4	Florida State	64
	13	UNC Greensboro	54
																1	Michigan	49
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/4) Hinkle Fieldhouse (11/2)
																11	UCLA	51
	6	BYU	62
	11	UCLA	73
						11	UCLA	67
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/11) Lucas Oil Stadium (3/14)
						14	Abilene Christian	47
	3	Texas	52
	14	Abilene Christian	53
											11	UCLA	88*
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (11/14 and 10/2)
											2	Alabama	78
	7	UConn	54
	10	Maryland	63
						10	Maryland	77
	Mackey Arena (7/10) Hinkle Fieldhouse (2/15)
						2	Alabama	96
	2	Alabama	68
	15	Iona	55

East Regional Final

TBS

March 30 9:57 pm EDT

Box score

#11 UCLA Bruins 51, #1 Michigan Wolverines 49
Scoring by half: 27–23, 24–26
Pts: J. Juzang, 28 Rebs: J. Bernard, 9 Asts: J. Jaquez Jr., 4		Pts: H. Dickinson, 11 Rebs: C. Brown Jr., 9 Asts: E. Brooks, M. Smith, 4

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,515 Referees: Bo Boroski, Verne Harris, Lee Cassell

East Regional all tournament team

• Johnny Juzang, UCLA (MOP)
• Chaundee Brown, Jr., Michigan
• Tyger Campbell, UCLA
• Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
• Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA

South Regional

	First round Round of 64 Friday, March 19					Second Round Round of 32 Sunday, March 21					Regional semifinals Sweet 16 Saturday, March 27					Regional Final/Elite 8 Monday, March 29 (Lucas Oil Stadium)
	1	Baylor	79
	16	Hartford	55
						1	Baylor	76
	Lucas Oil Stadium (1/16) Mackey Arena (8/9)
						9	Wisconsin	63
	8	North Carolina	62
	9	Wisconsin	85
											1	Baylor	62
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/9) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (5/13)
											5	Villanova	51
	5	Villanova	73
	12	Winthrop	63
						5	Villanova	84
	Indiana Farmers Coliseum (5/12) Lucas Oil Stadium (4/13)
						13	North Texas	61
	4	Purdue	69
	13	North Texas	78*
																1	Baylor	81
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (1/5) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (3/15)
																3	Arkansas	72
	6	Texas Tech	65
	11	Utah State	53
						6	Texas Tech	66
	Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (6/11) Bankers Life Fieldhouse (3/14)
						3	Arkansas	68
	3	Arkansas	85
	14	Colgate	68
											3	Arkansas	72
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/3) Indiana Farmers Coliseum (7/15)
											15	Oral Roberts	70
	7	Florida	75*
	10	Virginia Tech	70
						7	Florida	78
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (7/10) Mackey Arena (2/15)
						15	Oral Roberts	81
	2	Ohio State	72
	15	Oral Roberts	75*

South Regional Final

CBS

March 29 9:57 pm EDT

Box score

#3 Arkansas Razorbacks 72, #1 Baylor Bears 81
Scoring by half: 38–46, 34–35
Pts: D. Davis, J. Notae, 14 Rebs: J. Smith, D. Davis, D. Sills, 6 Asts: D. Sills, 4		Pts: M. Teague, 22 Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6 Asts: D. Mitchell, 6

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,519 Referees: Terry Oglesby, Jeff Clark, Paul Szelc

South Regional all tournament team

• Davion Mitchell, Baylor (MOP)
• Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
• Jared Butler, Baylor
• Jalen Tate, Arkansas
• MaCio Teague, Baylor

Midwest Regional

	First round Round of 64 Friday, March 19					Second Round Round of 32 Sunday, March 21					Regional semifinals Sweet 16 Saturday, March 27					Regional Final/Elite 8 Monday, March 29 (Lucas Oil Stadium)
	1	Illinois	78
	16	Drexel	49
						1	Illinois	58
	Indiana Farmers Coliseum (1/16) Hinkle Fieldhouse (8/9)
						8	Loyola Chicago	71
	8	Loyola Chicago	71
	9	Georgia Tech	60
											8	Loyola Chicago	58
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (1/8) Hinkle Fieldhouse (12/4)
											12	Oregon State	65
	5	Tennessee	56
	12	Oregon State	70
						12	Oregon State	80
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (5/12) Indiana Farmers Coliseum (4/13)
						4	Oklahoma State	70
	4	Oklahoma State	69
	13	Liberty	60
																12	Oregon State	61
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (8/12) Hinkle Fieldhouse (11/2)
																2	Houston	67
	6	San Diego State	62
	11	Syracuse	78
						11	Syracuse	75
	Hinkle Fieldhouse (6/11) Lucas Oil Stadium (3/14)
						3	West Virginia	72
	3	West Virginia	84
	14	Morehead State	67
											11	Syracuse	46
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (11/3) Lucas Oil Stadium (10/2)
											2	Houston	62
	7	Clemson	56
	10	Rutgers	60
						10	Rutgers	60
	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (7/10) Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (2/15)
						2	Houston	63
	2	Houston	87
	15	Cleveland State	56

Midwest Regional Final

CBS

March 29 7:15 pm EDT

Box score

#12 Oregon State Beavers 61, #2 Houston Cougars 67
Scoring by half: 17–34, 44–33
Pts: M. Calloo, 13 Rebs: E. Thompson, 7 Asts: E. Thompson, 6		Pts: M. Sasser, 20 Rebs: J. Gorham, 10 Asts: D. Jarreau, 8

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,519 Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, Mike Reed

Midwest Regional all tournament team

• DeJon Jarreau, Houston (MOP)
• Quentin Grimes, Houston
• Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago
• Marcus Sasser, Houston
• Ethan Thompson, Oregon State

Final Four – Indianapolis, Indiana

	National semifinals Final Four Saturday, April 3					National championship game Monday, April 5
	W1	Gonzaga	93*
	E11	UCLA	90
						W1	Gonzaga	70
						S1	Baylor	86
	S1	Baylor	78
	MW2	Houston	59

National semifinals

CBS

April 3 5:14 pm EDT

Box score

S1 Baylor Bears 78, MW2 Houston Cougars 59
Scoring by half: 45–20, 33–39
Pts: J. Butler, 17 Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6 Asts: D. Mitchell, 11		Pts: M. Sasser, 20 Rebs: J. Gorham, 6 Asts: J. Gorham, 3

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 8,131 Referees: Doug Sirmons, Pat Adams, Chris Rastatter

CBS

April 3 8:34 pm EDT

Box score

W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 93, E11 UCLA Bruins 90 (OT)
Scoring by half: 45–44, 36–37 Overtime: 12–9
Pts: D. Timme, 25 Rebs: J. Ayayi, 6 Asts: A. Nembhard, 8		Pts: J. Juzang, 29 Rebs: C. Riley, 10 Asts: T. Campbell, 7

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 8,131 Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, James Breeding

National championship

Main article: 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

CBS

April 5 9:20 pm EDT

Box score

S1 Baylor Bears 86, W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 70
Scoring by half: 47–37, 39–33
Pts: J. Butler, 22 Rebs: M. Vital, 11 Asts: J. Butler, 7		Pts: J. Suggs, 22 Rebs: D. Timme, 5 Asts: A. Nembhard, 4

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana Referees: Randy McCall, Bo Boroski, Keith Kimble

Final Four all-tournament team

• Jared Butler, Baylor (MOP)
• Johnny Juzang, UCLA
• Davion Mitchell, Baylor
• Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
• Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Source:^[21]

Game summaries and tournament notes

Upsets

Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2021 tournament saw a record total of 14 upsets; 7 of them were in the first round, 5 of them were in the second round, and one of them in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, respectively. ^[22]

Round	West	East	South	Midwest
First round	No. 13 Ohio defeated No. 4 Virginia, 62–58	No. 14 Abilene Christian defeated No. 3 Texas, 53–52 No. 11 UCLA defeated No. 6 BYU, 73–62	No. 15 Oral Roberts defeated No. 2 Ohio State, 75–72 (OT) No. 13 North Texas defeated No. 4 Purdue, 78–69 (OT)	No. 12 Oregon State defeated No. 5 Tennessee, 70–56 No. 11 Syracuse defeated No. 6 San Diego State, 78–62
Second Round	No. 7 Oregon defeated No. 2 Iowa, 95–80	None	No. 15 Oral Roberts defeated No. 7 Florida, 81–78	No. 12 Oregon State defeated No. 4 Oklahoma State, 80–70 No. 11 Syracuse defeated No. 3 West Virginia, 75–72 No. 8 Loyola Chicago defeated No. 1 Illinois, 71–58
Sweet 16	None	No. 11 UCLA defeated No. 2 Alabama, 88–78 (OT)	None	None
Elite 8	None	No. 11 UCLA defeated No. 1 Michigan, 51–49	None	None

Record by conference

Conference	Bids	Record	Win %	FF	R64	R32	S16	E8	F4	CG	NC
Big 12	7	11–6	.647	–	7	6	1	1	1	1	1
WCC	2	5–2	.714	–	2	1	1	1	1	1	–
American	2	4–2	.667	1	1	1	1	1	1	–	–
Pac-12	5	13–5	.722	1	5^†	5	4	3	1	–	–
Big Ten	9	8–9	.471	1	8	6	1	1	–	–	–
SEC	6	7–6	.538	–	6	4	2	1	–	–	–
ACC	7	4–7	.364	–	7	2	2	–	–	–	–
Big East	4	4–4	.500	–	4	2	2	–	–	–	–
Missouri Valley	2	3–2	.600	1	2	1	1	–	–	–	–
Summit	1	2–1	.667	–	1	1	1	–	–	–	–
C-USA	1	1–1	.500	–	1	1	–	–	–	–	–
MAC	1	1–1	.500	–	1	1	–	–	–	–	–
Southland	1	1–1	.500	–	1	1	–	–	–	–	–
MEAC	1	1–1	.500	1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
SWAC	1	1–1	.500	1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Atlantic 10	2	0–1	.000	–	2^†	–	–	–	–	–	–
Mountain West	2	0–2	.000	–	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
America East	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Atlantic Sun	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Big Sky	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Big South	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Big West	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Colonial	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Horizon	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
MAAC	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Ohio Valley	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Patriot	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Southern	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
WAC	1	0–1	.000	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Northeast	1	0–1	.000	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Sun Belt	1	0–1	.000	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

^† Includes a game declared no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols with VCU. Oregon of the Pac-12 conference advanced to the second round and VCU of the Atlantic 10 conference was eliminated from the tournament.

• The FF, R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the First Four, Round of 64 (first round), Round of 32 (second round), Regional semifinals (Sweet 16), Regional Finals (Elite Eight), National semifinals (Final Four), National Championship Game, and national champion, respectively.
• The Record column does not include wins or losses in games declared no-contest.

Media coverage

Television

CBS Sports and Turner Sports had US television rights to the tournament.^[23][24] As part of a cycle that began in 2016, CBS televised the 2021 Final Four and the national championship game. Because the 2020 tournament had been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, the last two rounds in back-to-back editions were broadcast on CBS for the first time since 2015 (TBS would have broadcast the 2020 Final Four and National Championship according to the arrangement).

Television channels

• First Four – truTV and TBS
• First and Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
• Regional semifinals and Final (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) – CBS and TBS
• National semifinals (Final Four) and championship – CBS

Studio hosts

• Greg Gumbel (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Ernie Johnson (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals and Final Four
• Adam Zucker (New York City) – First round and Second round
• Matt Winer (Atlanta) – First round (Game Breaks)

Studio analysts

• Charles Barkley (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Seth Davis (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Jim Jackson (Indianapolis) – National Championship Game
• Andy Katz (Atlanta) – First Four, first round, second round and Regionals
• Clark Kellogg (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Candace Parker (Indianapolis) – Final Four
• Kenny Smith (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Gene Steratore (New York City and Indianapolis) (Rules Analyst) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
• Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – First Four, first round, second round and Regionals

Commentary teams

• Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson – First round at Hinkle Fieldhouse; Second Round and Regional Semi-finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Sunday); South Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South); Final Four and National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium
  • Hill joined Nantz, Raftery and Wolfson during the Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Games.
• Brian Anderson/Jim Jackson/Allie LaForce – First Four at Mackey Arena; First and Second Rounds at Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Regional Semi-finals at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Saturday); West Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South)
• Ian Eagle/Grant Hill or Jim Spanarkel/Jamie Erdahl – First round at Mackey Arena; Second Round and Regional Semi-finals at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Sunday); Midwest Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)
  • Hill called the First & Second Rounds with Spanarkel during the Regionals.
• Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner/Dana Jacobson – First round at Indiana Farmers Coliseum; Second Round at Hinkle Fieldhouse; Regional Semi-finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Saturday); East Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)
• Brad Nessler/Steve Lavin/Avery Johnson (First Four only)/Evan Washburn – First Four at Assembly Hall; First and Second Rounds at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
• Spero Dedes/Brendan Haywood/Lauren Shehadi – First round at Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Second Round at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South)
• Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/AJ Ross – First and Second Rounds at Hinkle Fieldhouse
• Carter Blackburn/Debbie Antonelli/Evan Washburn (Friday)/Dana Jacobson (Saturday)/Lauren Shehadi (Monday) – First round at Assembly Hall; Second Round at Hinkle Fieldhouse
• Lisa Byington/Steve Smith/AJ Ross (Friday & Sunday)/Lauren Shehadi (Saturday) – First round at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South); Second Round at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
• Tom McCarthy/Avery Johnson/AJ Ross (Friday)/Lauren Shehadi (Saturday) – First round at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)

ESPN International had international rights to the tournament. Coverage uses CBS/Turner play-by-play teams until the Final Four.^[25]

• Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas (UCLA vs. Gonzaga), Dick Vitale (Houston vs. Baylor, National Championship Game)

Most-watched tournament games

All times Eastern. Tournament seedings and region are in parentheses.

Rank	Round	Date	Matchup				Network	Viewers (millions)	TV Rating^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30]
1	National Championship	April 5, 2021, 9:20 ET	(1 S) Baylor	86	(1 W) Gonzaga	70	CBS	16.92	9.4
2	Final Four	April 3, 2021, 8:34 ET	(11 E) UCLA	90	(1 W) Gonzaga	93		14.94	7.6
3	Sweet 16	March 28, 2021 5:00 ET	(4 E) Florida State	58	(1 E) Michigan	76		9.03	5.1
4	Final Four	April 3, 2021, 5:14 ET	(2 MW) Houston	59	(1 S) Baylor	78		8.18	4.4
5	Round of 32	March 21, 2021, 5:15 ET	(11 MW) Syracuse	75	(3 MW) West Virginia	72		7.86	4.5
6	Sweet 16	March 27, 2021 5:15 ET	(5 S) Villanova	51	(1 S) Baylor	62		7.54	4.2
7	Round of 32	March 21, 2021, 2:40 ET	(9 S) Wisconsin	63	(1 S) Baylor	76		7.42	4.5
8	Elite Eight	March 30, 2021, 9:57 ET	(11 E) UCLA	51	(1 E) Michigan	49	TBS	6.89	3.9
9	Sweet 16	March 28, 2021, 2:10 ET	(5 W) Creighton	65	(1 W) Gonzaga	83	CBS	6.66	3.9
10	Sweet 16	March 28, 2021, 7:15 ET	(11 E) UCLA	88	(2 E) Alabama	78	TBS	6.51	3.7

Radio

First Four Ted Emrich and Kyle Macy – at Assembly Hall John Sadak and Jordan Cornette – at Mackey Arena First and Second Rounds Ryan Radtke and Austin Croshere – at Hinkle Fieldhouse and Indiana Farmers Coliseum Kevin Kugler and P. J. Carlesimo – at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium Craig Way and Donny Marshall – at Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Hinkle Fieldhouse Ted Emrich and Kyle Macy – at Assembly Hall John Sadak and Jordan Cornette – at Mackey Arena Bill Rosinski and Will Perdue – at Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse Jason Benetti and Robbie Hummel – at Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse Brandon Gaudin and Dan Dickau – at Hinkle Fieldhouse and Bankers Life Fieldhouse Dave Pasch and Danny Manning – at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse Scott Graham and Jon Crispin – at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Regionals Ryan Radtke and Donny Marshall – at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Saturday) and Hinkle Fieldhouse (Sunday) Kevin Kugler and P. J. Carlesimo – at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Saturday), Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Sunday) and Lucas Oil Stadium (Monday & Tuesday) Ryan Radtke and Robbie Hummel – at Lucas Oil Stadium (Monday & Tuesday) Final Four and National Championship Kevin Kugler, Jim Jackson, P. J. Carlesimo, and Jim Gray – Lucas Oil Stadium

Internet

FastBreak is an online-only program providing whiparound coverage of all tournament games similar to NFL RedZone during the first weekend.

• Dave Briggs, Rex Chapman, Tony Delk (New York City)^[31]

See also

• 2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament

Notes

1. Game declared no contest due to COVID-19 protocols with VCU. Oregon advances in the tournament.^[19]

References

1. "NCAA announces early-round dates for tourney". ESPN.com. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
2. "NCAA announces further details for 2021 Division I men's basketball championship". Retrieved January 4, 2021.
3. "Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, Michigan get top seeds in NCAA men's basketball tournament". ESPN.com. March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
4. Thamel, Pete (March 22, 2021). "Why this may already be the craziest NCAA men's tournament ever". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
5. "Ivy League cancels basketball season for 2020-21 as part of ban on winter sports due to COVID-19". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
6. "DI Council approves Nov. 25 start date for men's and women's basketball". NCAA. September 16, 2020.
7. "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
8. Gleeson, Scott (March 14, 2021). "March Madness: Here's how Duke could play in the 2021 NCAA Tournament after all". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
9. Gleeson, Scott; Mast, Shelby (March 14, 2021). "NCAA Tournament bracketology: Final March Madness projection on Selection Sunday". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
10. Wells, Adam (February 21, 2021). "NCAA Tournament teams won't be replaced if forced to withdraw due to COVID-19". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
11. "NCAA tournament to be held entirely in Indiana". ESPN.com. January 4, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
12. Benbow, Dana Hunsinger; Doyel, Gregg; Osterman, Zach. "It's official: 2021 NCAA tournament to be played entirely in Central Indiana, Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
13. "A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend 2021 NCAA Tournament games". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
14. "NCAA men's tourney to have limited attendance". ESPN.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
15. Daley, Dan. "March Madness 2021: Broadcast Audio Mixes in Crowd Sound — Real and Augmented". Sports Video Group. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
16. "Future Division I Men's Basketball Championship sites". NCAA. March 22, 2019.
17. "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
18. "The NCAA bracket S-curve, explained". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
19. NCAA staff (March 20, 2021). "VCU-Oregon game ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. "Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament game". March 30, 2021.
21. "NCAA All-Tournament Teams". Associated Press. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
22. "We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
23. Bonesteel, Matt (April 12, 2016). "CBS and Turner Sports lock down NCAA tournament through 2032". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
24. "Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Commentator Teams". Warner Media. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
25. "ESPN's College GameDay Covered by State Farm Headlines Men's College Basketball Studio Programming this Weekend". ESPN Press Room U.S. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
26. Paulsen (March 24, 2021). "NCAA Tournament off to solid start despite dip". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
27. Paulsen (March 30, 2021). "Super Sweet 16: schedule change boosts regional semis". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
28. Paulsen (March 31, 2021). "Steep declines for men's Elite Eight". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
29. Paulsen (April 6, 2021). "Final Four ratings: Gonzaga-UCLA thriller hits post-hiatus high despite drop". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
30. Paulsen (April 7, 2021). "Nearly 17 million watch Baylor bully Bulldogs". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
31. "Community news: Summer concert series announced and more". Westport News. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.

 

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