The much-anticipated March Madness brackets have been announced, signaling the official start of the NCAA basketball tournaments. For the men’s tournament, top seeds include Auburn, Houston, Duke, and Florida, while the women’s No. 1 seeds feature UCLA, South Carolina, Southern California, and Texas. The men’s First Four is set to begin in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday, while the women’s will commence on Wednesday.
On the men’s side, Florida has emerged as a narrow betting favorite with odds of +350 at BetMGM Sportsbook. Close contenders include Duke (+360), Auburn (4-1), and Houston (6-1), with Alabama trailing at 15-1. In women’s basketball, South Carolina is slightly favored at +270, edging out UConn at +275, followed by UCLA (5-1), USC (+550), Texas (6-1), and Notre Dame (6-1). A significant gap separates these frontrunners from N.C. State and LSU, each at 40-1.
The Big Ten has achieved a record by securing 12 spots in the women’s tournament, which includes top-seeded UCLA and Southern California. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) follows with 10 teams, while the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big 12 have placed eight and seven teams respectively. Interestingly, the Ivy League has secured more entries (three) than the Big East, which only has two.
Exciting potential matchups are on the horizon as the tournaments progress. For the women’s Elite Eight, a thrilling in-state showdown may occur between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed TCU in Regional 3. Likewise, Regional 4 could feature a major rematch between top seeds Southern California and UConn, who faced each other in a tightly contested game back in December, where USC emerged victorious 72-70.
A surprising development sees Notre Dame dropping to a third seed following a rough patch where they lost three of their last five games. Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish secured a place in the tournament, beginning their campaign against 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin. Hosting both the first and second rounds, they look to advance to Birmingham, Alabama, for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups. Despite recent setbacks, Notre Dame boasts an impressive 26-5 season record and shares the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
In the women’s tournament, the top-four seeds in each region enjoy the advantage of hosting the initial two rounds. Among these are Kentucky, Ohio State, Maryland, and Baylor, which edged out the fifth-seeds including Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kansas State. The extensive women’s bracket details matches from all regions, highlighting the captivating clashes set to unfold.
Meanwhile, the men’s tournament bracket reveals Florida as the leading seed in the West Region, with Houston topping the Midwest, Duke in the East, and Auburn dominating the South. The SEC has shattered previous records by qualifying 14 teams for the men’s tournament, surpassing the Big East’s 2011 benchmark of 11 teams.
The men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament schedules outline key dates, beginning with the First Four for both genders and moving through initial rounds, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and culminating in the Final Four and championship games. The men’s tournament reaches its finale at the Alamodome in San Antonio, while the women’s grand prize will be determined at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Conference realignment has subtly influenced tournament selections, with the demise of the Pac-12 reducing automatic qualifiers to 31, thereby increasing the at-large spots to 37. The SEC, traditionally recognized for its football prowess, has demonstrated strength in basketball this season, potentially fielding nearly all its teams in the tournament.
March Madness also invites tales of underdog triumphs, known as ‘Cinderella’ stories, where lower-seeded teams make unexpected runs. Historically, five No. 11 seeds have reached the men’s Final Four, with Villanova’s 1985 victory as an eighth seed being a classic Cinderella moment. In women’s basketball, no team seeded lower than third has clinched the title since 1994.
