UPenn, Villanova secure spots in NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Philly March Madness: UPenn, Villanova secure spots in NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University both earned March Madness bids for the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Here's what we know.

PHILADELPHIA - March Madness returns to Philadelphia as eight teams prepare to compete at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with local excitement running high after University of Pennsylvania and Villanova both secured spots in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 2022.

Philadelphia teams celebrate NCAA tournament return

What we know:

University of Pennsylvania’s men’s basketball team earned its first NCAA tournament bid since 2018 after winning the Ivy League championship. 

Students at the university described a lively atmosphere on campus, with Nate Grazian, a sophomore, saying, "This is huge for us. There’s a lot of rallying around campus. People talking about sports that wasn’t happening before." 

Hamza Al Arami, also a sophomore, said, "I feel like the whole campus is alive right now they are happy."

The Quaker's return to the tournament has energized the campus.

Freshman Linka Osinowo shared her excitement, saying, "It’s very, very exciting. I got to see one of their games, actually. They are really really good. So I’m very happy they are able to go to the NCAA Tournament." Another freshman, Raissa Esteme, added, "‘I’m looking forward to see what happens so go Quakers!!!"

14th seed Penn will face 3rd seed Illinois on Friday in South Carolina.

Down the Main Line more celebrations. Villanova men’s and women’s teams both earn bids to their respective tournaments. 

What they're saying:

Villanova’s men’s team received its first NCAA tournament bid since 2022, and the women’s team also qualified for the field of 68 for it’s 14th time in program history.

David Szczepanski, a senior and student broadcaster, said, "It’s been a great few days and I know there are so many people excited. It’s everything you can dream for as a student." 

Senior Peyton Shallcross said, "I’m so excited. Hopefully it goes well and we go pretty far. We’re all super excited."

On the men’s side, 8th seed Villanova will face 9th seed Utah State on Friday in San Diego in the first round.

The 10th seeded Villanova women’s team plays 7th seed Texas Tech on Friday in Baton Rouge, LA.

Szczepanski also commented on the significance for the city, saying, "To have Penn and Villanova back in the Big Dance and that’s a huge thing for the city of Philadelphia and the area."

Lehigh University joins the tournament action

Lehigh University also earned a bid to the First Four play-in round, with their game scheduled for Wednesday. 

This adds another local team to the tournament lineup, increasing regional interest in March Madness.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear how far the Philadelphia area teams will advance in the tournament or who their first-round opponents will be.