CNN
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It’s that time of year again. A time for teams to embark on Cinderella runs and players to become college basketball legends.
March Madness is almost here as the season comes to a crescendo with 68 teams vying to lift that storied trophy.
Here’s who has already booked their spot in the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
How teams qualify
There are different methods by which teams can make the bracket.
One avenue is by becoming an automatic qualifier. A team can do this by winning its respective conference tournament which guarantees a place in March Madness.
A total of 31 teams book their spots via this method. The other 37 spots in the bracket will be filled by the so-called ‘at-large’ teams, with a selection committee deciding who makes the cut.
Those 37 teams will learn their fate on ‘Selection Sunday’ on Sunday, March 16, with the opening contests of the tournament – the First Four games – taking place two days later. The championship will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on April 7.
Who is already in
Although the majority of the 68 places have yet to be filled, some teams have already qualified for March Madness by winning their conference tournaments.
The first automatic qualification of this year’s tourney was clinched by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Cougars, who booked their first-ever spot in the bracket by winning the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championship with a 69-48 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the final.
Six other teams have already assured themselves of a place in the tournament, with the Lipscomb Bisons, High Point Panthers, Drake Bulldogs, Wofford Terriers, Troy Trojans and Omaha Mavericks all locked in.
The Mavericks’ spot had already been assured before their Summit League championship game on Sunday because their opponents in that game, St. Thomas-Minnesota, were ineligible to reach March Madness due to the school being in the final season of probation after making the jump from Division III to Division I.
Nevertheless, Omaha ensured it entered the Big Dance for the first time on a winning note, beating the Tommies 85-75 in the final game of the Summit League.
To see the full list of teams qualified for March Madness and the conference tournament schedule, click here.