As the NCAA selection committee prepares to release the March Madness bracket this Sunday, significant deliberation is expected to accommodate the influx of Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams. With the SEC positioned to send between 12 and 14 teams to the tournament, the committee faces the challenge of ensuring March Madness doesn’t merely seem like an SEC regular season continuation.
This year’s tournament promises a distinct layout due to the profound impact of conference realignments, resulting in four super-conferences. These shifts could dominate nearly half of the 68-team field. Historically, the Big East set a record in 2011 by entering 11 teams. What’s in play is the possibility of the SEC securing up to 14 spots, while the Big Ten may get about 10, and the Big 12 could obtain as many as eight. These projections include teams like Oklahoma, Oregon, and BYU, who were part of different conferences till recently.
Such realignments have broader implications. A recent development sees Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark endorsing a potential expansion of the tournament to 76 teams, a change that could benefit the newly formed Power Four conferences. However, the immediate concern for the 12-member selection committee, convened in Indiana, is to handle the situation efficiently, necessitating some unconventional approaches.
Typically, NCAA principles try to avoid pitting teams from the same conference against each other before the Elite Eight if they’ve already played three times in a season. Similarly, rematches of teams who have met twice are discouraged before the Sweet 16. Yet, a modification permits flexibility in these guidelines if a conference places nine or more teams in the tournament.
Selection committee chair and North Carolina athletic director, Bubba Cunningham emphasized the main focus is on appropriate seedings. “We really try to keep everybody on the same seed line they’ve earned,” he explained. “We don’t want to move them to a different seed line because that really does impact the tournament. But it’ll be a little bit trickier this year.”
One vivid illustration of the SEC’s might includes Auburn being a definitive No. 1 seed, with Florida contending for another top slot alongside Tennessee and Alabama. A pivotal decision still pending revolves around who will grab the top overall seed—Auburn or Duke. Despite Auburn’s prowess, Duke recently edged them at No. 1 in the latest rankings.
Interestingly, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), historically a basketball juggernaut, is only projected to send three teams to the tournament, marking its lowest representation in 25 years. This adds a layer of unpredictability and excitement as the selection committee prepares to unveil the bracket, setting the stage for this season’s spectacle of college basketball.
