NCAA Men's Opening Rounds

Portland Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Portland, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Albuquerque Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Albuquerque, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Pittsburgh Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Pittsburgh, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Louisville Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Louisville, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Columbus Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Columbus, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Omaha Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Omaha, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Nashville Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Nashville, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Greensboro Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Greensboro, a game ticket to all sessions, event transfers, gifts and more.

Event History

The NCAA Men's Opening Rounds are played on the first weekend of the tournament, either on Thursday and Saturday or Friday and Sunday.

Since 2002, the tournament has used the "pod" system, in which the eight first- and second-round sites are distributed around the four regionals. Before the 2002 tournament, all teams playing at a first- or second-round site fed into the same regional tournament. The pod system was designed to limit the early-round travel of as many teams as possible.

Each of the eight first and second round sites is assigned two pods, where each group of four teams play each other. A host site's pods may be from different regions, and thus the winners of each pod would advance into separate regional tournaments.