‘Elite Eight’ Basketball Tournament is About to Slam Dunk Into Southern Indiana
Fresh off another exciting Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship Tournament, the city of Evansville is preparing to host another basketball tourney at the Ford Center - this time a national championship is at stake.
You see "March Madness" everywhere you look this time of year. In case you don't know, March Madness refers to the NCAA's Division I (DI) men's championship tournament, which starts in March. Well, I can tell you that the 'madness' is just as real and just as exciting for the 64 Division II (DII) basketball teams that are moving on to the postseason.
The Evansville Regional Sports Commission presents the 2023 NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament, taking place at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville from March 21-25. This is a big, big deal for the teams competing, and an honor for Evansville to be the host city once again.
What is the Division II Elite Eight Tournament?
The DII tournament is similar to the DI tournament in almost every way. They are both single-elimination tournaments that start with 64 teams. Teams play each other in various regional games around the country. With each round of the tourney, the field gets smaller as teams get closer to the ultimate goal - a national championship. Where DI and DII slightly differ is when comes to the final few games.
In the DI tournament, the Sweet 16, the Elite 8, and the Final Four (which includes the championship game) are played in different cities. At the DII level, the tournament simply makes one less stop - the Elite 8, final four, and championship all happen in the same city.