Alabama players celebrate on the court after an NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M in the finals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
The stage is set for the most important tournament in college hoops after the 2023 March Madness bracket was revealed.
CBS and the NCAA held their annual Selection Sunday this week, and, in what wasn't much of a surprise to those that are tapped into men's college basketball this season, Alabama, playing out of the Southern region, landed the No.1 overall seed for the first time in the university's history.
Purdue, Kansas, and Houston were also named No. 1 seeds in the East, Midwest, and Western regions respectively.
On the women's side, South Carolina once again snatched the No. 1 overall seed as coach Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks look to not only return to the Final Four for the fifth time in seven years, they're looking to repeat as champions after winning in 2022.
Stanford, Indiana, and Virginia Tech were also named No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
In the men's bracket, the Final Four is set to tip off on April 1 with a champion to be crowned on April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The women's championship game is scheduled for April 2 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
In a meticulously choreographed ceremony on Tuesday, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics will be lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece.