March Madness starts with 76 teams. (The NCAA increased the number of teams from 68 to 76 for the 2027 tournament.) Of those teams, 24 compete in 12 play-in games, which reduce the field to 64 teams. These teams participate in the first round, which is widely seen as the official start of March Madness. In the ensuing weeks, the number of teams is further reduced in the single-elimination tournament until there is a champion.
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