March Madness captivates basketball fans every year, but before the excitement of buzzer beaters and Cinderella stories comes a meticulous process that determines how teams are selected and seeded for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships.
Selecting Teams for March Madness
- Each committee member chooses thetop eight teams, in no particular order, from teams that are under consideration.
- Thetop eightvote-getters are ranked 1 through 8 by each committee member, with the top four from that vote moving into the field. The other four are placed in a "holding room."
- The committee members then listeight more teamsfrom the under-consideration list.
- Thetop fourvote-getters join the other four in holding for a rank of those eight teams. The top four from that ranking are moved into the field.
- Thisprocess repeats itselfuntil37 at-large teamshave been selected.
This ensures that only the bestteams are selected, based on a variety of metrics and comprehensive evaluation.
Learn more about each committees' selection criteria for the NCAA tournament.
Seeding Teams: Creating the True Seed List
TheNCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committeesrank the68 teamsusing aseed list, which orders teams from1 through 68. Thisseed list remains unchangedonce finalized and serves as the basis for placing teams into the tournament bracket. While the seed list is finalized Sunday morning, contingencies are put into place based on potential outcomes of Sunday's games.
Teams are ranked and placed using a voting process:
- The seeding process begins witheach committee memberchoosingthetop eight teams, in no particular order, from teams that have already beenvoted into the fieldor have earned theautomatic qualifier.
- Thetop eightvote-getters are ranked1 through 8 by each committee member, with thetop fourfrom that vote moving into the top four spots on the overall seed list. The other four are placed in a "holding room."
- The committee members then list eight more teams from the teams that have already been voted into the field or have earned the automatic qualifier.
The top four vote-getters join the other four in holding for a rank of those eight teams. The top four from that ranking are moved into the field as the initial 2 seeds (spots 5-8 on the overall seed list). - Thisprocess repeats itselfuntilall tournament teamshave beenseeded.
- Throughout selection week and right up until themorning of Selection Sunday, the committees willrevisit the seed list, scrubbing it until they are satisfied with the order of the 68 teams. Thescrubbing processinvolvescomparing the first team with the second, the second with the third, the third with the fourth, and so on. When a team moves up a spot on the seed list, it is then compared with the next team up, and when a team moves down a spot on the seed list, it is compared with the next team down.
Key Men's Bracketing Principles
- Regional assignments:The fourNo. 1 seedsare placed in separate regions, with the highest-seeded team choosing its preferred region.
- Conference and rematch rules:Thefirst four teamsfrom thesame conferenceare placed in different regions when they are among the top four seed lines. Teams from the same conference that have played three times during the season, including conference tournament games, cannot meet until the Elite Eight. Teams from the same conference that have met twice during the season, including the conference tournament, may not meet before the Sweet 16. If teams from the same league played just once during the season, they may meet as early as the second round. These principles can be relaxed if a league has nine or more teams in the tournament.
- First Four games:Thelast four at-large teamson thecommittee's overall seed list, plus the last four teams on the overall seed list, make up the eight teams that compete in theFirst Fourin Dayton, Ohio.
- Geographical placement:Teams are placedas close to home as possibleto maximize fan accessibility. Additionally, a teamcannot play in a facility where it has played more than three gamesin a season or is the host school.
- Bracketing adjustments:If necessary, a team may be moved up or down one seed line to meet bracketing principles. The committee balances regions across the top four seed lines (top 16 teams) using true seed numbers to ensure no region is significantly stronger than another. Ideally, there is never a difference of more than five between the region with the lowest total and the one with the highest.
Did you know?In men's basketball, because there arefive conference championship games played on Selection Sunday, there are contingent seed lists based on those outcomes. Because bracketing can't begin until the overall seed list is finalized, there are several brackets produced Sunday, based on the combinations of Sunday's outcomes that impact the seed list.
Learn more about the March Madness selections process.
Key Women's Bracketing Principles
- Regional assignments:The fourNo. 1 seedsare placed in separate regions, with the highest-seeded team choosing its closest regional location.
- Conference and rematch rules:Thefirst four teamsfrom thesame conferenceare placed in different regions. Teams from the same conference cannot meet until theregional finalif they've played each other three or more times.If necessary, a team may be moved up or down one seed line to meet bracketing principles.
- First Four games:The last four at-large teams, plus the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers, play inFirst Fourgames attop 16 host sites.
- Top 16 seeds hosting games:The top 16 seeded teams have the opportunity to host first- and second-round games at their home arenas if they meet hosting requirements.
- Geographic and venue considerations: Teams are placed as close to home as possible to maximize fan accessibility. For regional competition, a team cannot play in an arena where it has played more than three games in a season.
- Bracketing adjustments:If necessary, a team may be moved up or down one bracket line to meet bracketing principles. The committee balances regions using true seed numbers to ensure no region is significantly stronger than another.
Why Seeding Matters in March Madness
Seeding can have a significant impact on a team's tournament journey. Historically,No. 1 seedshave had the best chance of winning their respective tournament, butupsetsare a big part of the March Madness drama.
Final Thoughts: Understanding the Madness Behind the Bracket
Understanding how teams are selected and seeded is critical for appreciating the complexity ofMarch Madness. It's a careful balancing act that combinesdata-driven analysiswithsubjective judgment. The process may seem like a mystery to many, but by breaking down how seeding and selection works, fans can gain a greater appreciation for the tournament.