2024 Final Four field is officially locked in

The first two weekends of the 2024 NCAA Tournament came to a close on Sunday evening. Next weekend, the last four teams standing will make the trip to Phoenix to crown another national champion. There are two clear favorites and two unexpected participants.

A national champion will be crowned at State Farm Stadium. Four different conferences will be represented next weekend for the biggest event in college basketball.

• No. 1 Purdue (33-4) vs. No. 11 NC State (26-14) | 6:09 p.m. ET
• No. 1 UConn (35-3) vs. No. 4 Alabama (25-11) | 8:49 p.m. ET

A clear argument could be made that UConn and Purdue have been the best two teams all season. We could be on a collision course with those two teams meeting in the national title game. But first, each must get by a hot team.

NC State is quickly becoming one of the best all-time March Madness stories. The Wolfpack won five games in five days at the ACC Tournament to secure a bid to the Big Dance. Since then, Kevin Keatts’ team won four games in the NCAA Tournament with three outright upsets. On Sunday evening, NC State knocked off heated rival Duke to continue this incredible run.

Alabama played like a top-10 team for most of the season but hit a bad stretch to end the regular season. After going one-and-done at the SEC Tournament, there was not a lot of positivity surrounding Nate Oats’ squad entering the NCAA Tournament. Since then, the Tide have covered four straight and will be making the trip to Phoenix.

The 2024 Final Four will feature a good blend. UConn is looking to become the sport’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. Purdue is in the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and might be the best program in college basketball without a national championship. Alabama will be making its first trip to a Final Four, and NC State has not been since 1983.

There will be some hungry fan bases making the trip west. Next weekend could be a fun one for college hoops.