University of Illinois basketball – both men's and women's teams – are getting ready for their 2025 NCAA Tournament debuts.The first NCAA Tournament in 1939 consisted only of eight men's teams. Today,

(WNDU) - The bracket is set for the 86th edition of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Sixty-eight teams will be playing in the single-elimination tournament over the next three weeks to determine the national champion. This year’s March Madness field includes three regional schools: Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.

It’s that rejuvenating time of year when the days get longer, the weather gets brighter and roughly 80 million people feverishly track their NCAA brackets for three frantic weekends.