From 1985 to 2000, there were 64 teams that played in the tournament. In 2001, they expanded that to the current number, 65 teams. In order to determine whether the 64th or 65th team plays in the first round of the tournament, these two teams play an "opening round" game. The winner of this opening game is the one who advances to play in the first round of the tournament.

The 65 teams that participate in the NCAA Men's basketball tournament are not always the same. They are chosen by a special selection committee. This is a committee that is appointed by the NCAA. They also decide where each team will be seeded in the brackets. There is also an automatic bid, which means that the committee only actually chooses 34 teams. The rest of the teams are conference champions. These champions are automatically entered into the tournament.

In recent years, the NCAA Men's basketball tournament has become widely popular. Therefore, it is one of the most watched, most anticipated, and most widely talked about sporting events in the United States. There is no telling whether or not the tournament will continue to increase in number, or if it will stay the same. The continuing growth depends on support for the sport of college basketball, as well as for the NCAA in general.

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