Excitement Builds As Southern Indiana Prepares for NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament

Fresh off another exciting Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship Tournament, the city of Evansville is preparing to host another basketball tourney at the Ford Center, and this time a national championship is at stake.

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"March Madness" is everywhere you look this time of year. In case you don't know, March Madness refers to the NCAA's Division I (DI) men's championship tournament, which starts in March. Well, I can tell you that the 'madness' is just as real and just as exciting for the Division II (DII) basketball teams that are moving on to the postseason.

On Sunday, March 11th, the NCAA announced the 64 teams participating in the 2024 DII tournament and released the official tournament brackets. Regional games will be played at on-campus sites on March 16, 17, and 19. The eight regional champions will then head to Southern Indiana to play for a championship!

A National Champion Will Be Crowned in Evansville, Indiana

The Evansville Regional Sports Commission is excited to once again host the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament, including the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship games. The 2024 tournament will be held at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville from March 26-30, and when it's all said and done, there will be a new DII National Champion!

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What is the Division II Elite Eight Tournament?

The DII tournament is similar to the DI tournament in almost every way. They are both single-elimination tournaments that start with 64 teams. Teams play each other in various regional games around the country. With each round of the tourney, the field gets smaller as teams get closer to the ultimate goal - a national championship. Where DI and DII slightly differ is when it comes to the final few games.

In the DI tournament, the Sweet 16, the Elite 8, and the Final Four (which includes the championship game) are each played in different cities. At the DII level, the tournament makes one less stop - the Elite 8, final four, and championship all happen in the same city.