This tournament is the first to feature 65 teams, due to the Mountain West Conference receiving an automatic bid for the first time.

The NCAA decided to maintain 34 at-large bids, which necessitated a play-in game between the #64 and #65 ranked teams, with the winner playing against a #1 seed in the first round.

At Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota Winner advances to 16th seed in Midwest Regional vs. (1) Illinois.

Ohio State vacated all wins and its NCAA Tournament appearance from the 2000–01 season due to the Jim O’Brien scandal.

The video of Hampton coach Steve Merfield being lifted in the air by player David Johnson during the celebration has become a classic clip, often played by CBS and ESPN to showcase the excitement of the underdog in the NCAA tournament.