Selection Sunday is only a week away and will determine the 68-team field competing for the March Madness Naismith trophy, setting the stage for thrilling action.
The NCAA Division I men’s basketball 12 committee members follow a meticulous process when establishing the March Madness bracket. They select the 37 best at-large teams that are not automatic qualifiers from their conferences and seed the field of 68 teams to create competitive balance in each region of the bracket.
Here is how to watch the Selection Sunday show where the teams for the upcoming NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament will be set and the matchups determined.
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How does the NCAA tournament selection committee pick?
The NCAA tournament selection committee is responsible for selecting the 37 at-large teams from the field that are not automatic qualifiers. The committee considers a team’s strength of schedule, quality of wins, and statistical performance when making their picks. Additionally, the committee is responsible for seeding the teams and creating the tournament bracket.
Who makes the NCAA tournament selection committee?
The committee consists of conference commissioners and athletic directors. Members are nominated by their conference and serve five-year terms.
According to the NCAA, here are the members of the selection committee.
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Mitch Barnhart, director of athletics, University of Kentucky
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Tom Burnett, commissioner, Southland Conference
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Janet Cone, director of athletics, University of North Carolina Asheville
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Bernadette McGlade, commissioner, Atlantic 10 Conference
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Michael O’Brien, vice president and director of athletics, University of Toledo
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Jim Phillips, vice president for athletics and recreation, Northwestern University
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Chris Reynolds, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, Bradley University
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Craig Thompson, commissioner, Mountain West Conference
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Kevin White, director of athletics, Duke University
How to watch Selection Sunday
The Selection Sunday show coverage begins on March 16 at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does Selection Sunday work? Committee members and voting info
