Printable 2021 March Madness Bracket

At long last, March Madness is finally here.

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will get underway later this week. Betting interest ahead of March Madness is expected to be at an all-time high, and with good reason. Millions of Americans are expected to wager billions of dollars on the event. Millions of others may not place a real money wager on March Madness, but they will fill out a bracket and enter a pool.

Frankly, the NCAA Tournament is a lot more enjoyable when you have a stake in the game. The cancelation of last year’s tourney means you’ve been waiting quite a while to fill out a bracket again. This year’s field is comprised of the usual 68 teams, and the Selection Committee announced the full bracket on Sunday evening. If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking to find a printable bracket. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. Download our free printable bracket here if you want to get in on the action!

2021 March Madness Bracket Selection Process

Unlike most events, this year’s NCAA Tournament is being held entirely in the state of Indiana as a result of the pandemic. Games will take place in various locations around the state, with the Final Four and NCAA Championship Game set to go down from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Teams are usually placed into various regions depending on geography, but the Committee threw geographical considerations out the window when making their picks this year. With everyone playing in the same state, there was no real reason to divide the teams based on location. The field also includes 37 at-large teams with the other 31 having qualified automatically.

While the 2021 field features countless major programs, there are a few bluebloods that have been left out of this year’s festivities. Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, and Memphis are among the big-name programs that failed to qualify this year. It’s actually the first time since 1975 that both Duke and Kentucky have missed out in the same year.

Gonzaga, Illinois Among Betting Favorites

Still, the race for the NCAA title is expected to be wide-open. Gonzaga, who finished the regular season a perfect 26-0, are the only entrant in the field with a spotless record. The Zags are the top overall seed in the tourney, and they enter as odds-on favorites (+180) to win it all. Gonzaga has never won a National Championship, but they did finish as runners-up back in 2016-17. The Bulldogs have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen or better in each of their last five appearances in the Big Dance.

The Fighting Illini basketball program has a decorated history, but this is the first time since 2013 that the team has advanced to the tourney. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament, which is no small feat considering the conference features nine teams in the field.

Baylor is a No. 1 seed despite having lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament over the weekend. The Bears finished the season as the best three-point shooting team in the nation, and their three star guards are expected to carry them deep into the Dance. Baylor finished the season with a record of 22-2 and ranked No. 2 in the country.

Juwan Howard’s Michigan (+700) is the fourth and final No. 1 seed. The Wolverines fell at the hands of rivals Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semis, but the team still finished with the best overall record in the conference (20-4).

The Wolverines have been a staple in the NCAA Tournament over the last several years. The team has appeared in the field every season since 2015-16, including a second-place finish back in 2017-18 under John Beilein. Michigan is searching for its first national championship since 1988-89.

This year’s field also features a number of players that are expected to be lottery selections in this year’s NBA Draft. Freshman Cade Cunningham, who is the favorite to win the Wooden Award this season, has led his Oklahoma State Cowboys to a No. 4 seed. USC’s Evan Mobley, Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, Florida State’s Scottie Barnes, and Arkansas’ Moses Moody are among the other big-name players expected to be firmly on the radar of several NBA teams later this year.

Complete 2021 NCAA March Madness Bracket Schedule

The First Four gets underway on Thursday, March 18. The NCAA decided to push the start of the first round back from Thursday to Friday in order to allow for more time for player testing and the observation of health protocols. Games will take place Friday-through-Monday, with the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight set to take place next weekend.

Below, you will find the full schedule for the First Four as well as the first round. This year’s schedule may be adjusted depending on what happens with health protocols, but this is the way everything looks as of now:

First Four (Thursday, March 18)

• (16) Texas Southern vs. (16) Mount St. Mary’s (5:10 pm ET)
• (11) Drake vs. (11) Wichita State (6:27 pm)
• (16) Appalachian State vs. (16) Norfolk State (8:40 pm)
• (11) UCLA vs. (11) Michigan State (9:57 pm)

First Round (Friday, March 19)

• (10) Virginia Tech vs. (7) Florida (12:15 pm ET)
• (14) Colgate vs. (3) Arkansas (12:45 pm)
• (16) Drexel vs. (1) Illinois (1:15 pm)
• (11) Utah State vs. (6) Texas Tech (1:45 pm)
• (15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Ohio State (3 pm)
• (16) Hartford vs. (1) Baylor (3:30 pm)
• (9) Georgia Tech vs. (8) Loyola Chicago (4 pm)
• (12) Oregon State vs. (5) Tennessee (4:30 pm)
• (13) Liberty vs. (4) Oklahoma State (6:25 pm)
• (9) Wisconsin vs. (8) North Carolina (7:10 pm)
• (15) Cleveland State vs. (2) Houston (7:15 pm)
• (13) North Texas vs. (4) Purdue (7:25 pm)
• (10) Rutgers vs. (7) Clemson (9:20 pm)
• (11) Syracuse vs. (6) San Diego State (9:40 pm)
• (14) Morehead State vs. (3) West Virginia (9:50 pm)
• (12) Winthrop vs. (5) Villanova (9:57 pm)

First Round (Saturday, March 20)

• (12) Georgetown vs. (5) Colorado (12:15 pm ET)
• (13) UNC Greensboro vs. (4) Florida State (12:45 pm)
• (14) Eastern Washington vs. (3) Kansas (1:15 pm)
• (9) St. Bonaventure vs. (8) LSU (1:45 pm)
• (16) Mount St. Mary’s/Texas Southern vs. (1) Michigan (3 pm)
• (12) UC Santa Barbara vs. (5) Creighton (3:30 pm)
• (15) Iona vs. (2) Alabama (4 pm)
• (11) Wichita St./Drake vs. (6) USC (4:30 pm)
• (15) Grand Canyon vs. (2) Iowa (6:25 pm)
• (10) Maryland vs. (7) UConn (7:10 pm)
• (13) Ohio vs. (4) Virginia (7:15 pm)
• (9) Missouri vs. (8) Oklahoma (7:25 pm)
• (16) Norfolk St./Appalachian St. vs. (1) Gonzaga (9:20 pm)
• (11) Michigan St./UCLA vs. (6) BYU (9:40 pm)
• (14) Abilene Christian vs. (3) Texas (9:50 pm)
• (10) VCU vs. (7) Oregon (9:57 pm)

Second Round

• Sunday, March 21
• Monday, March 22

Sweet Sixteen

• Saturday, March 27
• Sunday, March 28

Elite Eight

• Monday, March 29
• Tuesday, March 30

Final Four

• Saturday, April 3

National Championship Game

• Monday, April 5