A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |||||
| Season | 2018–19 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 68 | ||||
| Finals site | U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota | ||||
| Champions | Virginia Cavaliers (1st title, 1st title game, 3rd Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Texas Tech Red Raiders (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Tony Bennett (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Kyle Guy (Virginia) | ||||
| |||||
The 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2018–19 season. The 81st annual edition of the tournament began on March 19, 2019, and concluded with the championship game on April 8, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Virginia Cavaliers, with Virginia winning 85–77 in overtime.[1][2]
Two schools made their first appearances in the tournament: Big South champion Gardner–Webb and Southland champion Abilene Christian.
For the first time since 2001, no #8 seed survived the first round of the tournament. This was also the first time since the First Four was established in 2011 that no team in the First Four advanced past the first round of the tournament.[a] As of the 2024 tournament, this was the only Final Four since 2012 that did not include at least one team seeded #7 or higher. [3] [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
This tournament marked the first time that the Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference and the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference made the Final Four. This also marked the third Final Four appearance for the Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but their first since 1984.
The championship game was the first time since 1979 to see two first-time participants playing in the championship, and the first since 2006 to have a first-time national champion.[13] As a result of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that started in late 2019 and subsequently forced the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, this would be the last tournament held until 2021, and this would be also the last tournament held across the United States until 2022.
Carsen Edwards of Purdue was the leading scorer, with 139 points in only 4 games–producing an average of 34.8 points per game. Edwards also set the record for most made 3-point shots in a tournament, with 28. The previous record holder, Glen Rice of Michigan in 1989, made 27, but did so in 6 games.
In the previous year's tournament, Virginia had infamously become the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. At the conclusion of this year's title game, CBS announcer Jim Nantz dubbed Virginia's win the "all-time turnaround title."[14]
Tournament procedure
A total of 68 teams entered the 2019 tournament. 32 automatic bids were awarded to each program that won their conference's tournament. The remaining 36 bids were "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee.
Eight teams (the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four (the successor to what had been popularly known as "play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the main draw of the tournament.
The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.
The selections and seedings were completed and revealed on Sunday, March 17.
Schedule and venues
The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 2019 tournament:[15]
First Four
- March 19 and 20
First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)
- March 21 and 23
- East and West Region
- XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut (Host: University of Connecticut)
- Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa (Host: Drake University)
- VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida (Host: Jacksonville University)
- Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah (Host: University of Utah)
- March 22 and 24
- South and Midwest Region
- Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina (Host: University of South Carolina)
- Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Host: Ohio State University)
- BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma (Host: University of Tulsa)
- SAP Center, San Jose, California (Host: West Coast Conference)
Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
- March 28 and 30
- West Regional, Honda Center, Anaheim, California (Host: Big West Conference)
- South Regional, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky (Host: University of Louisville)
- March 29 and 31
- East Regional, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. (Host: Georgetown University)
- Midwest Regional, Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
- April 6 and 8
U.S. Bank Stadium became the 40th venue to host the Final Four. This was the first hosting of the event at the facility, built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, a two-time host in 1992 and 2001. The tournament returned to Hartford's XL Center for the first time since 1998. For the first time since 1970, the tournament returned to Columbia, South Carolina, with games played at the Colonial Life Arena.[17]
Qualification and selection
Four teams, out of 353 in Division I, were ineligible to participate in the 2019 tournament; Alabama A&M and Florida A&M failed to meet APR requirements, while California Baptist and North Alabama are amidst reclassification from Division II.[18][19][20]