<P> The selection process for college basketball's NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships determines which teams (68 men's, 64 women's) will enter the tournaments (the centerpieces of the basketball championship frenzy known as "March Madness") and their seedings and matchups in the knockout bracket . Thirty - two teams gain automatic entry through winning their conference's championship . The remaining teams (36 men's, 32 women's) rely on the selection committee to award them an at - large bid in the tournament . The selection process primarily takes place on Selection Sunday and the days leading up to it . Selection Sunday is also when the men's brackets and seeds are released to the public . The women's championship brackets and seeds are announced one day later, on Selection Monday . </P> <P> The ten - member basketball selection committee is made up of athletic directors and conference commissioners throughout Division I men's and women's athletics with separate committees for the men's and women's tournaments . The committees, whose members serve five - year terms, are chosen to ensure that conferences from around the country are represented . Historically the men's selection committee consisted of all men, and the women's selection committee consisted of all women . However, recently women have been serving on the men's committee (including Judy Rose, Lynn Hickey, and current member Janet Cone), and men have been serving on the women's committee (including Richard Ensor and current member Jeff Konya). The tournament selection is only part of the committee members' duties; the panels meet year - round (in - person or through conference calls) to discuss the tournament and its administration, evaluate teams, assign tournament game officials, and determine future tournament sites . </P>

How many teams are selected for the ncaa tournament