1939 -- The first National Collegiate Men's Basketball Championship is played. For the first 12 years, district playoffs often were held with the winner entering an eight-team field for the championship. The district games were not considered as part of the tournament. The winners of the East and West regionals were the only two teams to advance to the final site.

1951 -- The field expands to 16 teams, with 10 conference champions gaining automatic qualification.

1953 -- Teams are no longer allowed to play in both the NCAA and NIT postseason tournaments.

1954 -- The championship game is televised nationally for the first time.

1969 -- NBC gains television rights for the tournament for $547,500. The tournament's net income exceeds $1 million for the first time.

1975 -- A 32-team bracket is adopted in which teams other than the conference champion can be chosen at large.

1979 -- The bracket grows to 40 teams, and all teams are seeded for the first time; the championship game between Indiana State University and Michigan State University draws a 24.1 rating, the highest ever for the event.

1980 -- Bracket growth reaches 48, including 24 AQs and 24 at-large berths.

1982 -- CBS is awarded the television-rights contract, and the selection show is televised live for the the first time.

1985 -- The current 64-team field is adopted, eliminating all first-round byes.

1986 -- The committee adopts a policy to conduct all regional competition at neutral sites.

1989 -- Neutral sites are used for all rounds for the first time.

1991 -- CBS begins a seven-year contract for $1 billion, which includes live coverage for all rounds.

1999 -- CBS and the NCAA agree to an 11-year bundled-rights agreement for $6 billion.

2001 -- An opening-round game is introduced to accommodate the number of automatic-qualifying conferences without reducing the number of at-large berths.

2002 -- The current "pod" system is adopted for placement of teams in the bracket.

2003 -- The committee sets the minimum seating capacity at the Final Four at 40,000.