What is the Elite Eight?

The Elite Eight is the round with eight teams left. Each game is a regional final. Win, and you reach the Final Four.

Two teams left in each region

The 64-team bracket splits into four regions.

The Sweet 16 cuts each region to two.

Four regions times two teams makes eight.

NCAA.com calls this round the regional finals.

Each game crowns one regional champion.

The champion moves on to the Final Four.

Every team here has won three straight games.

An Opening Round team has won four straight.

New to this round? Read what the Sweet 16 is.

The last games of the second weekend

The Sweet 16 opens the second weekend.

The Elite Eight closes that same weekend.

The men's games are Saturday and Sunday.

In 2027, they are March 27 and 28.

Four games are played across two days.

The women's games are Sunday and Monday.

In 2027, they are March 28 and 29.

The Elite Eight in 2027

The South final is Saturday, March 27.

It is played in San Antonio, Texas.

The West final is also on Saturday.

It is played in Los Angeles, California.

The Midwest final is Sunday, March 28.

It is played in Kansas City, Missouri.

The East final is also on Sunday.

It is played in New York City.

The women's finals are in Philadelphia and Las Vegas.

See every key date for 2027.

Where the name came from

The name counts the teams still playing.

Eight teams remain, and every game is huge.

Four winners earn the name regional champions.

NCAA.com traces it to Illinois high school basketball.

Its finals shrank from 16 teams to eight.

That change happened back in 1956.

The new name stuck for the smaller field.

One win from the biggest stage

This round stops many great runs.

Every winner is called a regional champion.

All four meet the next weekend.

They play two semifinals on Saturday.

Then one title game on Monday.

A champion from here wins three more games.

Read what the Final Four is.