March Madness 2015
For the second year in a row, March Madness will feature one team's quest to finish the season undefeated, and this time around, it's none other than the Kentucky Wildcats. The top-seeded program has already secured one national title under head coach John Calipari in 2012, and nearly prevailed again last season, finishing runner-up to Connecticut. As the majority favorite, all eyes will be on Kentucky throughout the NCAA Tournament, but as the sports world saw with the Wichita State Shockers in 2014, remaining unbeaten is certainly no easy task, especially during March Madness.
NCAA Tournament Tickets from Vivid Seats
Shop the Vivid Seats marketplace for NCAA Tournament tickets available throughout each round leading up to the highly anticipated Final Four, which is returning to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the first time since 2010.
The No. 1 Seeds
The 2015 crop of top seeds are all household names, led by overall No. 1, Kentucky, and followed by Duke, Wisconsin, and Villanova. All four programs have previously captured at least one national championship, with the Badgers in the midst of the longest span without a title having claimed their first and only back in 1941. Villanova also has won only once back in 1985, while Duke has claimed four (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010), and Kentucky has been crowned eight times (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012).
Bid Breakdown
With seven bids each, the Big Ten and Big 12 lead the pack for 2015, followed by the ACC and Big East with six apiece, and rounding out the rest was the SEC (5), Pac-12 (4), SEC (3), Atlantic 10 (3), Mountain West (3), American Athletic Conference (2), Missouri Valley Conference (2), and West Coast Conference (2).
Loaded South and West Regions
With Kentucky expected to run the table in the Midwest, it's the South and West regions that experts have tabbed as the toughest. Notable teams on Duke's side in the south include No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Iowa State, and No. 4 Georgetown, while top teams on Wisconsin's side are No. 2 Arizona, No. 3 Baylor, No. 4 North Carolina, and No. 7 VCU.
Inaugural Appearances
NCAA Tournament newcomers for this year include UC Irvine of the Big West and Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference.
March Madness 2015 Schedule
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Date
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First Four
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NCAA Tournament Dayton - All Sessions
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University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, OH
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NCAA Tournament Dayton - Session 1
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University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, OH
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NCAA Tournament Dayton - Session 2
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University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, OH
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Date
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second and third rounds
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NCAA Tournament Jacksonville
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Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena - Jacksonville, FL
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NCAA Tournament Louisville
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KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
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NCAA Tournament Pittsburgh
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CONSOL Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA
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NCAA Tournament Portland
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Moda Center - Portland, OR
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NCAA Tournament Charlotte
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Time Warner Cable Arena - Charlotte, NC
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NCAA Tournament Columbus
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Nationwide Arena - Columbus, OH
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NCAA Tournament Omaha
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CenturyLink Center - Omaha, NE
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NCAA Tournament Seattle
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KeyArena - Seattle, WA
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Date
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regionals
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NCAA Midwest Regional
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Quicken Loans Arena - Cleveland, OH
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NCAA West Regional
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Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA
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NCAA East Regional
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Carrier Dome - Syracuse, NY
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NCAA South Regional
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NRG Stadium - Houston, TX
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Date
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Final four & national championship
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| April 4-6 |
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Final Four - All Sessions
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Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
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| April 4 |
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Final Four - Semifinals
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Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
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| April 6 |
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National Championship
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Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
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