2024 NCAA Conference Basketball Tournaments: Schedule, Odds, & Predictions

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Gonzaga head coach Mark Few during an NCAA college basketball game against San Francisco in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Mar 17, 2024, 6:01 PM

When college basketball fans talk about March Madness, many of them are thinking strictly about the NCAA Tournament and the NCAA basketball odds that accompany it.

Seasoned bettors know that the madness really starts several days earlier, when every Division I conference holds a tournament to determine which team will win the tournament’s coveted automatic bid.

Thirty-two conference tournaments are scheduled to run from March 4-17.

2024 Conference Tournaments: Schedule, Dates, & Locations

Conference Schedule/dates Auto bid LOCATION
America East
Quarters: March 9
Semis: March 12
Champ: March 16
Vermont (28-6) Higher Seed
American Athletic
First Rd: March 13
Second Rd: March 14
Quarters: March 15
Semis: March 16
Champ: March 17
UAB (23-11) Fort Worth
Atlantic 10
First Rd: March 12
Second Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 16
Champ: March 17
Duquesne (24-11) Brooklyn
ACC
First Rd: March 12
Second Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
NC State (22-14) D.C.
Atlantic Sun
First Rd: March 4
Quarters: March 5
Semis: March 7
Champ: March 10
Stetson (22-12) Campus Sites
Big 12
First Rd: March 12
Second Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Iowa State (27-7) Kansas City
Big East
First Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
UConn (31-3) New York City
Big Sky
First Rd: March 9
Second Rd: March 10
Quarters: March 11
Semis: March 12
Champ: March 13
Montana State (17-17) Boise
Big South
First Rd: March 6
Quarters: March 8
Semis: March 9
Champ: March 10
Longwood (21-13) High Point
Big Ten
First Rd: March 13
Second Rd: March 14
Quarters: March 15
Semis: March 16
Champ: March 17
Illinois (26-8) Minneapolis
Big West First Rd: March 13
Second Rd: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Long Beach State (20-14) Henderson
CAA
First Rd: March 8
Second Rd: March 9
Quarters: March 10
Semis: March 11
Champ: March 12
Charleston (27-7) D.C.
Conference USA
First Round: March 12
Quarters: March 13 and 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Western Kentucky (21-11) Huntsville, Ala.
Horizon League First Rd: March 5
Quarters: March 7
Semis: March 11
Champ: March 12
Oakland (23-11) Indianapolis
Ivy League
Semis: March 16
Champ: March 17
Yale (22-9) New York City
MAAC
Open Rd: March 12
Quarters: March 13 and 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Saint Peter’s (19-13) Atlantic City
MAC Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Akron (23-10) Cleveland
MEAC
Quarters: March 13 and 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Howard (18-16) Norfolk
Missouri Valley
First Rd: March 7
Quarters: March 8
Semis: March 9
Champ: March 10
Drake (28-6) St. Louis
Mountain West
Opening Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
New Mexico (26-9) Las Vegas
Northeast
Quarters: March 6
Semis: March 9
Champ: March 12
Wagner (16-15) Higher Seed
Ohio Valley
First Rd: March 6
Quarters: March 7
Semis: March 8
Champ: March 9
Morehead State (26-8) Evansville
Pac-12
First Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Oregon (23-11) Las Vegas
Patriot League
First Rd: March 5
Quarters: March 7
Semis: March 10
Champ: March 13
Colgate (25-9) Higher Seed
SEC
First Rd: March 13
Second Rd: March 14
Quarters: March 15
Semis: March 16
Champ: March 17
Auburn (27-7) Nashville
SoCon
Open Rd: March 8
Quarters: March 9
Semis: March 10
Champ: March 11
Samford (29-5) Asheville
Southland
First Rd: March 10
Second Rd: March 11
Semis: March 12
Champ: March 13
McNeese (30-3) Lake Charles
SWAC
Quarters: March 13 and 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Grambling (19-14) Birmingham
Summit League
First Rd: March 8
Quarters: March 9 and 10
Semis: March 11
Champ: March 12
South Dakota State (22-12) Sioux Falls
Sun Belt
First Rd: March 5
Second Rd: March 7
Quarters: March 9
Semis: March 10
Champ: March 11
James Madison (31-3) Pensacola
West Coast
First Rd: March 7
Second Rd: March 8
Quarters: March 9
Semis: March 11
Champ: March 12
Saint Mary’s (26-7) Las Vegas
WAC First Rd: March 13
Quarters: March 14
Semis: March 15
Champ: March 16
Grand Canyon (29-4) Las Vegas

Conference Tournament Previews & Predictions

ACC Tournament Predictions

ACC

In a top-heavy year for the ACC, this conference tournament bracket is Duke, North Carolina, and everybody else.

Atlantic 10 Tournament Predictions

Atlantic 10

In this year’s unusual conference landscape, the Atlantic 10 may be actively rooting against one of its best teams.

Big East Tournament Predictions

Big East

It’s reigning national champion UConn (-165) vs. the field (+140) under the lights at Madison Square Garden.

Big Ten Tournament Predictions

Big Ten

Surging bubble teams. Fallen blue bloods. Redemption for Purdue. A sleeper that no one is watching. The Big Ten has it all this year.

Big 12 Tournament Predictions

Big 12

Move over, Kansas. The Big 12 is once again gunning for a seemingly unbeatable No. 1 seed in Kansas City, but it’s not the Jayhawks.

Horizon League Tournament Predictions

Horizon League

No. 2 Youngstown State is the favorite, but No. 1 Oakland will get the most benefit out of the Horizon League’s reseeding system.

Missouri Valley Tournament Predictions

Missouri Valley

No. 1 Indiana State is the favorite, but No. 2 Drake may have a path to an at-large bid. Arch Madness is heating up again.

Mountain West Tournament Predictions

Mountain West

San Diego State, the national runner-up in 2023, is the No. 5 seed in this week’s conference tournament. They’re favored to win it anyway.

SEC Tournament Predictions

SEC

Tennessee, Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama are all eyeing a tournament championship this weekend in Nashville.

Southern Conference Tournament Predictions

Southern Conference

The SoCon Tournament has been dominated by No. 1 seeds in recent years. Can anyone beat No. 1 Samford this year for the autobid?

Sun Belt Tournament Predictions

Sun Belt

The Sun Belt might be mostly known as a football conference, but App State and James Madison give the SBC some real punch.

Conference Tournament Odds: Favorites

Here’s each team currently favored to win their respective conference tournament:

  • ACC:ย Duke (+190)
  • America East:ย Vermont (-250)
  • American:ย Florida Atlantic (+160)
  • Atlantic 10:ย Dayton (+140)
  • Atlantic Sun:ย Stetson (-105)
  • Big East:ย UConn (-165)
  • Big Sky Eastern Washington (+175)
  • Big South:ย High Point (-110)
  • Big Ten:ย Purdue (-110)
  • Big West:ย UC Irvine (-250)
  • Big 12:ย (Houston -165)
  • Coastal: Charleston (+210)
  • Conference USA:ย Louisiana Tech (+105)
  • Horizon: Youngstown State (+210)
  • MAAC:ย Fairfield (+250)
  • MAC:ย Akron (+175)
  • MEAC:ย Norfolk State (+180)
  • Missouri Valley:ย Indiana State (+165)
  • Mountain West:ย San Diego State (+250)
  • NEC: Merrimack (+125)
  • OVC: Morehead State (+100)
  • Pac-12:ย Arizona (-165)
  • Patriot: Colgate (-225)
  • SEC:ย Tennessee (+160)
  • Southern: Samford (+150)
  • Southland:ย McNeese (-300)
  • Summit: South Dakota State (+180)
  • Sun Belt: James Madison (+110)
  • SWAC:ย Southern (+320)
  • West Coast: Gonzaga (-125)

Teams Ineligible for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

Eleven teams are ineligible for this year’s NCAA Tournament:

TeamConferenceReason
BellarmineAtlantic SunTransition from Div. II
Le MoyneNECTransition from Div. II
LindenwoodOVCTransition from Div. II
QueensAtlantic SunTransition from Div. II
St. ThomasSummitTransition from Div. III
Southern IndianaOVCTransition from Div. II
StonehillNECTransition from Div. II
Tarleton StateWACTransition from Div. II
Texas A&M-CommerceSouthlandTransition from Div. II
UC San DiegoBig WestTransition from Div. II
Utah TechWACTransition from Div. II

2024 NCAA Tournament Dates & Locations

RoundDateVenueCity
First FourMarch 19-20UD ArenaDayton
First/SecondMarch 21-23Spectrum CenterCharlotte
First/SecondMarch 21-23CHI Health CenterOmaha
First/SecondMarch 21-23PPG Paints ArenaPittsburgh
First/SecondMarch 21-23Spokane Veterans Mem. ArenaSpokane
First-SecondMarch 22-24Barclays CenterBrooklyn
First/SecondMarch 22-24Gainbridge FieldhouseIndianapolis
First/SecondMarch 22-24Delta CenterSalt Lake City
First/SecondMarch 22-24FedEx ForumMemphis
East RegionalMarch 28-30TD GardenBoston
West RegionalMarch 28-30Crypto.com ArenaLos Angeles
South RegionalMarch 28-30American Airlines CenterDallas
Midwest RegionalMarch 29-31Little Caesars ArenaDetroit
Final FourApril 6-8State Farm StadiumGlendale

How To Bet on College Basketball Futures

College basketball betting doesn’t stop when the season ends. At BetMGM, you can bet on futures throughout the offseason!

After the national champion is crowned each April, the online sportsbook immediately releases odds for next year’s champion. And over the next six months before the season starts again, additional futures become available, including conference champion odds and awards.

Visit the sportsbook today to place your bet online

If you don’t have a sportsbook account, sign up for the BetMGM welcome bonus, one of many sportsbook offers at BetMGM.

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About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.