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March Madness 2024: First round matchups set for Michigan State, Oakland

NCAA men’s tournament bracket revealed Sunday

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo gestures toward the team bench during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Purdue in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Conference tournament, Friday, March 15, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) (Abbie Parr, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Two Michigan schools will represent the state in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The 2024 bracket was revealed on Sunday after the end of conference championship games, and now we know first round matchups, which will start on Thursday.

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Michigan State

The Spartans enter to 2024 men’s tournament as a No. 9 seed.

  • When they play: Thursday, March 21 at 12:15 p.m. on CBS
  • Who they play: No. 8 Mississippi State
  • Where they play: Charlotte (West Region)
  • Spread: Michigan State opens as 2.5 point favorite

Michigan State finished the 2024 season 19-14, closing out the year with some disappointing losses, including a second-round exit in the Big Ten tournament. But you never know with Tom Izzo teams in March.

Oakland

The Golden Grizzlies enter their first tournament in more than a decade as a No. 14 seed.

  • When they play: Thursday, March 21 at 7:10 p.m. on CBS
  • Who they play: No. 3 Kentucky
  • Where they play: Pittsburgh (South Region)
  • Spread: Oakland opens at +12.5

Oakland, 23-11, won the Horizon League tournament as the No. 1 seed, clinching their first tournament berth since 2011, and their fourth overall. They’ve never advanced past the first round, but they have won a play-in game, back in 2005.


The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship.

Here is the full schedule for this season’s 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

  • First Four: March 19-20
  • First round: March 21-22
  • Second round: March 23-24
  • Sweet 16: March 28-29 (games in Detroit)
  • Elite Eight: March 30-31
  • Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
  • NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

About the Author
Ken Haddad headshot

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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