The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 18 , 2008 with the opening round game in Dayton , Ohio , and concluded on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas . Of the 65 teams that were invited to participate , 31 were automatic bids while 34 were at-large bids . The 34 at-large teams came from 10 conferences , with the Big East tying its own 2006 record with eight bids . Three other conferences , the Big 12 , Pac-10 , and SEC , had six teams invited to the tournament . Notably absent from the field were Florida and Ohio State , the champions and runners-up of the 2007 Tournament , the first time that both teams from a previous year 's finals failed to make the tournament since 1980 . Kansas defeated Memphis , 75 – 68 in overtime to win their third NCAA Tournament championship , and Jayhawks guard Mario Chalmers was named the tournament 's Most Outstanding Player
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season