Welcome to the 2021 March Madness basketball tournament, which will determine the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Division I national champion. After the 2020 tournament was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 event is the 82nd edition of this single-elimination tournament. First played in 1939, with a field of eight teams, Oregon won the inaugural tournament as the Ducks defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 46–33. The First Four round was added in 2011 to bring the field to its current 68 teams.

During the first 81 tournaments, 36 different schools claimed at least one title. UCLA owns a record 11 tournament wins, followed by Kentucky (8) and North Carolina (6). After March Madness was canceled last year, Virginia enters the 2021 tournament as the defending champion. The Cavaliers claimed the 2019 title, their first in school history, as they defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 85–77 in overtime. That was the eighth time the championship game was decided in OT, and the first time since 2008.

The 2021 March Madness field was announced during Selection Sunday on March 14. The 31 Division I conference tournament champions received an automatic entry into the tournament. A 10-member selection committee, which is a mix of NCAA athletic directors and conference commissioners, awarded at-large bids to 37 teams to complete the field. Notable exclusions include Duke, who failed to qualify for the first time since 1995, and Kentucky who failed to qualify for just the third time since 1992.