The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament — “The Big Dance” — begins this week with 68 schools ready to kick up their heels. Five Virginia universities will be in the tournament. Here are the first round matchups for the state’s entries:

• University of Virginia vs. Gardner-Webb University, 3:10 p.m. Friday, March 22, in Columbia, S.C.; South Region

• Virginia Tech vs. St. Louis University, 9:57 p.m. Friday, March 22, in San Jose, Calif.; East Region

• Virginia Commonwealth University vs. University of Central Florida, 9:40 p.m. Friday, March 22, in Columbia, S.C.; East Region

• Old Dominion University vs. Purdue University, 9:50 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in Hartford, Conn.; South Region

• Liberty University vs. Mississippi State University, 7:27 p.m. Friday, March 22, in San Jose, Calif.; East Region

Sites for the four regional Sweet 16 games March 28 through 31: East Region – Washington, D.C.; South Region – Louisville, Ky.; Midwest Region – Kansas City, Mo.; West Region – Anaheim, Calif.

Final Four games: April 6 and 8 in Minneapolis, Minn.