Every March, college basketball fans eagerly await Selection Sunday. That’s when the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament brackets are revealed.
But have you ever wondered how these selections are made? What goes on behind the scenes before the brackets are announced? Understanding the process will make your March Madness experience even more thrilling. So, let’s dive into the madness!
The Selection Committees: The Powerhouses Behind the Brackets
The fate of every NCAA tournament team rests in the hands of two groups: the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. These committees are made up of athletic directors and conference commissioners. They evaluate every team’s season performance to build the most competitive tournament possible.
These committee members analyze team stats, watch games, and track trends throughout the season. But the real chaos begins in the final days leading up to Selection Sunday, when they gather in a conference room with stacks of data, debating for hours (sometimes days). Especially to determine who is in, who is out, and where each team will be seeded.
Automatic Bids: Winning Your Way In
The easiest way to secure a spot in the tournament? Win your conference championship. The NCAA tournament features 68 teams for men and women, and 32 of those spots are claimed by conference champions. This guarantees that smaller conferences—like the Missouri Valley or Sun Belt—get representation in the tournament, no matter how their regular-season record stacks up.
Winning the conference title is a golden ticket for teams in major conferences (ACC, Big Ten, SEC, etc.). But for mid-major teams, it can be their only chance to secure a bid. These automatic bids make conference tournaments as exciting as the main event because every game could be a team’s last chance at making March Madness.
At-Large Bids: The Toughest Decisions
After the 32 automatic bids are awarded, the remaining 36 spots in the tournament go to at-large teams. These are teams that did not win their conference tournaments but were strong enough throughout the season to earn a place in the Big Dance. The selection committee has to make some of its most difficult decisions here.
To determine which teams deserve an at-large bid, the committee evaluates several key factors:
- NET Rankings: The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is the primary ranking system used by the selection committee. It factors in the strength of the schedule, game results, scoring margins, and efficiency to rank teams. A high NET ranking can boost a team’s at-large bid chances.
- Quality Wins and Losses: The committee heavily weighs how teams perform against high-level competition. A win against a top-ranked team is more valuable than multiple victories against weaker opponents. Conversely, bad losses (especially to teams with losing records) can seriously hurt a team’s chances.
- Strength of Schedule: How challenging was a team’s season? A team that consistently played (and beat) top competition will have an edge over one that racked up wins against weaker opponents.
- Injuries and Player Availability: If a team lost key players during the season but has since regained full strength, the committee considers this when evaluating their overall performance.
The debate over the last few at-large teams can get intense, and it fuels the Selection Sunday controversy. Fans and analysts often argue about bubble teams—those right on the edge of making the tournament—who either barely sneak in or get left out.
Seeding: Setting up the Madness
Once the 68 teams are selected, the next challenge is seeding—ranking the teams from 1 to 68. The top four teams receive No. 1 seeds, which are strategically placed in different regions of the bracket to ensure balance.
Seeding is crucial because it determines matchups and potential paths to the championship. A higher seed means a more favorable early-round opponent, while lower seeds often have a much more challenging road ahead. But every year, there are debates about which teams deserved a higher seed and whether certain matchups were fair.
The No. 16 seed has only beaten a No. 1 seed twice in the history of the men’s tournament (UMBC over Virginia in 2018 and FDU over Purdue in 2023), while the women’s tournament has never seen such an upset—showing how impactful seeding can be.
The First Four: The Tournament’s Opening Act
Before the main tournament begins, the First Four takes place. These are four play-in games featuring the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams. The winners advance to the 64-team bracket, while the losers head home.
Though they may seem insignificant, the First Four games have led to some Cinderella runs. In 2011, VCU went from the First Four to the Final Four, with UCLA accomplishing the same feat in 2021. So, don’t sleep on these games—they can be the start of something magical.
Will the Selection Process Evolve in the Future?
With the rise of analytics, the debate over expanding the tournament, and growing fan engagement, Selection Sunday may look different in the future. Should more weight be given to advanced stats? Should the tournament field expand beyond 68 teams? Could a new ranking system replace the NET?
KEEP READING: How Does the First Four in March Madness Work? Everything You Need to Know
No matter what changes, one thing is certain—Selection Sunday will always be a thrilling, nerve-wracking, and essential part of March Madness.
So, now that you know how the teams are determined, the real question is—how accurate will your bracket be this year?
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