How Are the D1 College Basketball Tournament Teams Selected? Qualifiers and At-Large Bids

March has arrived, meaning the men's college basketball tournament is right around the corner.

But before the games begin, we need a tournament field. 68 teams will hear their name called this Sunday, but how do those teams get selected?

Let's dive into how college basketball tournament teams are selected, both for automatic qualifiers and at-large bids.

How Are College Basketball Tournament Teams Selected?

Automatic Qualifiers

Of the 68 teams that make the national tournament, 31 do so automatically by winning their conference tournament. Every conference in the country sends one automatic qualifier to the tournament, though they're seeded with the rest of the field.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) became the first team to punch their ticket to the national tournament over the weekend after winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship.

The rest of the automatic qualifiers will be decided this week. A full Division I conference tournament schedule can be found here.

At-Large Bids

The remaining 37 spots in the national tournament are decided by at-large bids. These can be from any conference, and there is no limit to the number of at-large bids a conference can earn.

The at-large bids are decided by the tournament selection committee, composed of 12 school athletic directors and conference commissioners from across the country.

The committee awards at-large bids based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: overall results, head-to-head results, results versus common opponents, imbalanced conference schedules and results, overall and non-conference strength of schedule, the quality of wins and losses, road record, player and coach availability and various computer metrics.

Once the at-large teams are decided, the committee seeds all 68 teams.

College Basketball National Championship Betting Odds

The tournament may not be decided yet, but you can still get in on the action with the college basketball national championship odds on FanDuel.

Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.