BRACKETPROJECTION
Field of 76

The bracket, built by the rules

Every projection here is produced by running the committee's published selection, seeding and bracketing principles as code. Nothing is placed by hand. When a principle can't be satisfied, the audit says so instead of hiding it.

1
East · New York
Michigan
Big Ten · 37-3 · RankSlate 1
4
South · San Antonio
Houston
Big 12 · 30-7 · RankSlate 4
2
Midwest · Kansas City
Duke
ACC · 35-3 · RankSlate 2
3
West · Los Angeles
Arizona
Big 12 · 36-3 · RankSlate 3
National semifinals/East v South·Midwest v West·Ford Field, Detroit ·April 3 & 5, 2027
Read first This projection rebuilds every morning from the latest data. The 2027 tournament expands to 76 teams, so the 68-team principles document you may have seen is out of date. Teams are ranked by RankSlate, our own rating engine modeled on the committee's published NET methodology. Until the 2026‑27 season tips off it runs on last season's final numbers; once games start, results take over. Every bracket here is a projection, not the announced field, so seeds, matchups and host cities will change. Do not book travel or buy tickets based on a projection. Some outbound links are paid affiliate links; full disclosure is in the footer.

Projected bracket

76 teams · 12 Opening Round games · updated 2026-08-01

Four regions of 16. Teams are shown at their bracket seed line with their true seed-list number in grey at the right. Pods are the four-team groups the committee ships to a single first- and second-round site.

Σ34
East
Madison Square Garden · New York · March 26 & 28
Pod APittsburgh, PA · March 18 & 20
1 MichiganAQ Big Ten 1
16 Siena/Tennessee St. OR MAAC 62
8 Ohio St. Big Ten 30
9 Georgia SEC 34
Pod BLouisville, KY · March 19 & 21
5 Arkansas SEC 18
12 UCF/Boise St. OR Big 12 48
4 Virginia ACC 16
13 AkronAQ MAC 51
Pod DMinneapolis, MN · March 19 & 21
6 Iowa Big Ten 24
11 South Fla.AQ American 44
3 UConnAQ Big East 9
14 YaleAQ Ivy League 53
Pod COmaha, NE · March 18 & 20
7 Saint Mary'sAQ WCC 25
10 NC State ACC 37
2 Iowa St. Big 12 8
15 North Dakota St.AQ Summit League 58
Σ34
South
Frost Bank Center · San Antonio · March 25 & 27
Pod ASacramento, CA · March 19 & 21
1 Houston Big 12 4
16 ETSU/Austin Peay OR SoCon 61
8 Saint LouisAQ Atlantic 10 29
9 Santa Clara WCC 36
Pod BFort Worth, TX · March 18 & 20
5 Louisville ACC 19
12 Oklahoma/San Diego St. OR SEC 45
4 Alabama SEC 13
13 McNeeseAQ Southland 49
Pod DSpokane, WA · March 18 & 20
6 Utah St. Pac-12 22
11 TCU/Indiana OR Big 12 42
3 St. John's Big East 12
14 Utah ValleyAQ WAC 54
Pod CMinneapolis, MN · March 19 & 21
7 Wisconsin Big Ten 26
10 Clemson± ACC 35
2 Illinois Big Ten 5
15 Navy/Troy OR Patriot 60
Σ34
Midwest
T-Mobile Center · Kansas City · March 26 & 28
Pod ACharlotte, NC · March 19 & 21
1 DukeAQ ACC 2
16 Howard/Bethune-Cookman OR MEAC 64
8 Villanova Big East 31
9 Texas± SEC 39
Pod BFort Worth, TX · March 18 & 20
5 Texas Tech Big 12 20
12 Tulsa/Seton Hall OR American 46
4 Vanderbilt SEC 14
13 BelmontAQ MVC 50
Pod DPittsburgh, PA · March 18 & 20
6 Kansas Big 12 21
11 VCU/SMU OR Atlantic 10 43
3 Michigan St. Big Ten 11
14 HofstraAQ CAA 55
Pod CLouisville, KY · March 19 & 21
7 Kentucky SEC 27
10 Texas A&M SEC 40
2 Purdue Big Ten 7
15 LibertyAQ CUSA 57
Σ34
West
Crypto.com Arena · Los Angeles · March 25 & 27
Pod ASacramento, CA · March 19 & 21
1 ArizonaAQ Big 12 3
16 UMBC/LIU OR America East 63
8 Miami (FL) ACC 32
9 UCLA Big Ten 33
Pod BOmaha, NE · March 18 & 20
5 Tennessee SEC 17
12 Baylor/Cincinnati OR Big 12 47
4 Nebraska Big Ten 15
13 High PointAQ Big South 52
Pod DSpokane, WA · March 18 & 20
6 BYU Big 12 23
11 New MexicoAQ Mountain West 41
3 GonzagaAQ Pac-12 10
14 HawaiiAQ Big West 56
Pod CCharlotte, NC · March 19 & 21
7 North Carolina ACC 28
10 Auburn SEC 38
2 FloridaAQ SEC 6
15 Montana St./Wright St. OR Big Sky 59
AQ  automatic bid OR  Opening Round winner 61  true seed-list number ±  moved one seed line to satisfy a principle

Principles audit

The committee publishes the rules it brackets by. Most projection sites never show whether their bracket actually obeys them. This one checks every placement against each principle and reports the failures.

10 of 11 testable principles satisfied · 0 failing · 1 advisory · 1 need data the feed does not carry yet
01 Field of 76One automatic bid per conference, with at-large berths filling the field to 76. For 2027 that is 32 automatic and 44 at-large.
32 automatic (32 conferences), 44 at-large, 76 total Pass
02 Regional balanceAdding true seeds across the top four lines, no more than five points should separate the strongest and weakest region.
Spread of 0: East 34, South 34, Midwest 34, West 34 Pass
03 First three separatedEach of the first three teams selected from a conference goes to a different region.
All multi-bid leagues separated Pass
04 Two per regionNo more than two teams from one conference in a region unless the league gets a ninth bid.
Waived for leagues with nine or more bids: Big Ten ×3 in East, SEC ×4 in Midwest, Big 12 ×3 in West, SEC ×3 in West Pass
05 No early conference rematchTeams from the same conference cannot meet before the regional final unless their league gets a ninth bid.
10 pairings allowed under the ninth-bid exception Pass
06 No first-round league matchupOn lines 1–4 and 13–16, only one team per conference in a group of four.
No conference is doubled inside a top or bottom pod Pass
07 One-line movesA team may be moved one seed line from its true seed when it is placed in the bracket, if that is what it takes to meet the principles.
2 teams moved a single line; no No. 1 seed was moved Pass
08 Areas of natural interestTeams stay in or as close to their natural area as the bracket allows. Whole bracket groups travel together, so the honest measure is the trip to the first-round site.
Average trip 728 miles · 10 of 64 teams over 1,400 miles Pass
09 Opening RoundTwelve games: the 12 lowest automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest at-large teams.
6 automatic-qualifier games, 6 at-large games Pass
10 Home-crowd disadvantageNo team on the top five lines faces a second-round home-crowd disadvantage. Tested as a geographic proxy from campus and venue coordinates; the attendance and travel version is a later upgrade.
No top-five seed shares a pod with a lower seed that is effectively at home Pass
11 Three games at a venueA team cannot play in a building where it played more than three times this season.
Schedule feed covers 14 of 76 bracket teams, not enough to certify Not tested
12 Rematch avoidanceWhere possible, avoid second- and third-round rematches of regular-season and prior tournament games. Placement minimizes these; the rule itself is advisory.
7 possible rematches remain after minimization: UConn v Saint Mary's (round 3, East); Arkansas v Georgia (round 3, East); Alabama v Oklahoma/San Diego St. (round 2, South); Duke v Texas Tech (round 3, Midwest); Vanderbilt v Texas (round 3, Midwest); Florida v Auburn (round 2, West) and 1 more. No season results yet, so this covers the known schedule and prior tournaments only. Advisory

Opening Round

March 16–17, 2027 · 12 games

Expansion replaced the old play-in round with a 12-game Opening Round across two sites. The 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams play in; the 12 winners fill out the 64-team bracket.

Dayton, OH
UD Arena · three games a day, March 16 and 17
12 Tulsa/Seton Hall winner is a No. 12 seed
16 Siena/Tennessee St. winner is a No. 16 seed
16 ETSU/Austin Peay winner is a No. 16 seed
15 Navy/Troy winner is a No. 15 seed
11 VCU/SMU winner is a No. 11 seed
16 UMBC/LIU winner is a No. 16 seed
Wichita, KS
INTRUST Bank Arena · three games a day, March 16 and 17
12 Baylor/Cincinnati winner is a No. 12 seed
16 Howard/Bethune-Cookman winner is a No. 16 seed
11 TCU/Indiana winner is a No. 11 seed
15 Montana St./Wright St. winner is a No. 15 seed
12 UCF/Boise St. winner is a No. 12 seed
12 Oklahoma/San Diego St. winner is a No. 12 seed

Host cities

25 cities · 18 states · 2027

Where each round is played, and where to start planning a trip.

Opening Round
Dayton
UD Arena
OH
March 16 & 17
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
Opening Round
Wichita
INTRUST Bank Arena
KS
March 16 & 17
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Charlotte
Spectrum Center
NC
March 19 & 21
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Fort Worth
Dickies Arena
TX
March 18 & 20
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Louisville
KFC Yum! Center
KY
March 19 & 21
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Minneapolis
Target Center
MN
March 19 & 21
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Omaha
CHI Health Center
NE
March 18 & 20
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Pittsburgh
PPG Paints Arena
PA
March 18 & 20
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Sacramento
Golden 1 Center
CA
March 19 & 21
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
First & second round
Spokane
Numerica Veterans Arena
WA
March 18 & 20
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
Regional
New York
Madison Square Garden
NY
March 26 & 28
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
Regional
San Antonio
Frost Bank Center
TX
March 25 & 27
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
Regional
Kansas City
T-Mobile Center
MO
March 26 & 28
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
Regional
Los Angeles
Crypto.com Arena
CA
March 25 & 27
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →
National semifinals
Detroit
Ford Field
MI
April 3 & 5
Travel → Things to do → Tickets →

Paid links. Travel links go to Expedia, things-to-do links to Tripadvisor, ticket links to Ticketmaster and StubHub. If you book or buy through one, Bracket Projection may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These host cities are projections, not the announced field. Do not book travel based on them.

Tickets

Prices move fastest in the 48 hours after the bracket is announced. Check both marketplaces before you buy.

National semifinals

All three games at Ford Field in Detroit, April 3 & 5, 2027. Sold as an all-session strip.

Ticketmaster → StubHub →

Regionals

Round of 16 and regional finals, March 25-28. New York, San Antonio, Kansas City, Los Angeles.

Ticketmaster → StubHub →

First & second round

Eight cities, March 18-21. The cheapest way into the tournament, and four games in a day.

Ticketmaster → StubHub →

Paid links. Ticket links go to Ticketmaster and StubHub, and Bracket Projection may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These matchups are projections, not the announced field. Do not buy tickets based on them.

RankSlate rankings

2025–26 final · 365 teams

RankSlate is our own rating engine, modeled on the committee's NET methodology. This is its final ranking of every Division I team from last season, the numbers that seed the projection until the new season produces games. During the season it updates from results.

RankTeamConferenceRecord
1 Michigan Wolverines Big Ten 37-3
2 Duke Blue Devils Atlantic Coast 35-3
3 Arizona Wildcats Big 12 36-3
4 Houston Cougars Big 12 30-7
5 Illinois Fighting Illini Big Ten 28-9
6 Florida Gators Southeastern 27-8
7 Purdue Boilermakers Big Ten 30-9
8 Iowa State Cyclones Big 12 29-8
9 UConn Huskies Big East 34-6
10 Gonzaga Bulldogs West Coast 31-4
11 Michigan State Spartans Big Ten 27-8
12 St. John's Red Storm Big East 30-7
13 Alabama Crimson Tide Southeastern 25-10
14 Vanderbilt Commodores Southeastern 27-9
15 Nebraska Cornhuskers Big Ten 28-7
16 Virginia Cavaliers Atlantic Coast 30-6
17 Tennessee Volunteers Southeastern 25-12
18 Arkansas Razorbacks Southeastern 28-9
19 Louisville Cardinals Atlantic Coast 24-11
20 Texas Tech Red Raiders Big 12 23-11
21 Kansas Jayhawks Big 12 24-11
22 Utah State Aggies Mountain West 28-7
23 BYU Cougars Big 12 23-12
24 Iowa Hawkeyes Big Ten 24-13
25 Saint Mary's Gaels West Coast 26-6
26 Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten 24-11
27 Kentucky Wildcats Southeastern 22-14
28 North Carolina Tar Heels Atlantic Coast 24-9
29 Saint Louis Billikens Atlantic 10 28-6
30 Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten 21-13
31 Villanova Wildcats Big East 24-9
32 Miami Hurricanes Atlantic Coast 26-9
33 UCLA Bruins Big Ten 24-12
34 Georgia Bulldogs Southeastern 22-11
35 Clemson Tigers Atlantic Coast 24-11
36 Santa Clara Broncos West Coast 25-9
37 NC State Wolfpack Atlantic Coast 20-14
38 Auburn Tigers Southeastern 22-16
39 Texas Longhorns Southeastern 20-15
40 Texas A&M Aggies Southeastern 22-12
41 New Mexico Lobos Mountain West 25-11
42 TCU Horned Frogs Big 12 23-12
43 Indiana Hoosiers Big Ten 18-14
44 VCU Rams Atlantic 10 28-8
45 South Florida Bulls American 24-9
46 SMU Mustangs Atlantic Coast 20-14
47 Oklahoma Sooners Southeastern 21-16
48 San Diego State Aztecs Mountain West 21-11
49 Tulsa Golden Hurricane American 28-8
50 Seton Hall Pirates Big East 21-12
51 Baylor Bears Big 12 16-17
52 Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 18-15
53 UCF Knights Big 12 21-12
54 Boise State Broncos Mountain West 19-11
55 West Virginia Mountaineers Big 12 21-14
56 Washington Huskies Big Ten 16-17
57 Missouri Tigers Southeastern 20-13
58 McNeese Cowboys Southland 26-6
59 Virginia Tech Hokies Atlantic Coast 19-13
60 Belmont Bruins Missouri Valley 25-6
61 Stanford Cardinal Atlantic Coast 20-13
62 Nevada Wolf Pack Mountain West 24-13
63 California Golden Bears Atlantic Coast 21-12
64 Akron Zips Mid-American 27-6
65 Grand Canyon Lopes Mountain West 20-12
66 Florida State Seminoles Atlantic Coast 18-15
67 Dayton Flyers Atlantic 10 25-12
68 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Atlantic Coast 18-17
69 Northwestern Wildcats Big Ten 15-19
70 Wichita State Shockers American 23-12
71 LSU Tigers Southeastern 15-17
72 Miami (OH) RedHawks Mid-American 29-2
73 USC Trojans Big Ten 17-14
74 Arizona State Sun Devils Big 12 17-16
75 Northern Iowa Panthers Missouri Valley 22-13
76 Oklahoma State Cowboys Big 12 20-15
77 High Point Panthers Big South 28-5
78 Colorado Buffaloes Big 12 17-16
79 Ole Miss Rebels Southeastern 15-20
80 Providence Friars Big East 15-18
81 Yale Bulldogs Ivy League 22-7
82 Creighton Bluejays Big East 16-18
83 Butler Bulldogs Big East 16-16
84 Colorado State Rams Mountain West 20-13
85 Utah Valley Wolverines Western Athletic 22-9
86 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Southland 26-6
87 Georgetown Hoyas Big East 16-18
88 Illinois State Redbirds Missouri Valley 22-13
89 Syracuse Orange Atlantic Coast 15-17
90 Minnesota Golden Gophers Big Ten 15-18
91 George Washington Revolutionaries Atlantic 10 18-16
92 George Mason Patriots Atlantic 10 22-10
93 Hofstra Pride Coastal Athletic Association 22-11
94 Marquette Golden Eagles Big East 12-20
95 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Atlantic Coast 13-18
96 Wyoming Cowboys Mountain West 17-15
97 Xavier Musketeers Big East 15-18
98 DePaul Blue Demons Big East 16-16
99 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Big West 22-9
100 Liberty Flames Conference USA 23-8
101 Pittsburgh Panthers Atlantic Coast 13-20
102 California Baptist Lancers Western Athletic 25-9
103 Kansas State Wildcats Big 12 12-20
104 Mississippi State Bulldogs Southeastern 13-19
105 Oregon Ducks Big Ten 12-20
106 UNLV Rebels Mountain West 17-17
107 UNC Wilmington Seahawks Coastal Athletic Association 25-7
108 South Carolina Gamecocks Southeastern 13-19
109 Seattle U Redhawks West Coast 19-14
110 Sam Houston Bearkats Conference USA 19-12
111 North Dakota State Bison Summit League 24-8
112 Saint Joseph's Hawks Atlantic 10 22-12
113 UC Irvine Anteaters Big West 21-12
114 Davidson Wildcats Atlantic 10 18-14
115 Pacific Tigers West Coast 16-15
116 Murray State Racers Missouri Valley 20-13
117 UAB Blazers American 19-12
118 St. Thomas-Minnesota Tommies Summit League 21-10
119 UIC Flames Missouri Valley 17-16
120 UC San Diego Tritons Big West 21-11
121 San Francisco Dons West Coast 16-16
122 Bradley Braves Missouri Valley 20-13
123 Florida Atlantic Owls American 16-15
124 Southern Illinois Salukis Missouri Valley 15-16
125 Duquesne Dukes Atlantic 10 16-15
126 Utah Utes Big 12 10-22
127 North Texas Mean Green American 17-14
128 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Southland 17-14
129 Memphis Tigers American 13-19
130 Maryland Terrapins Big Ten 12-21
131 Montana State Bobcats Big Sky 15-14
132 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Big Ten 14-20
133 Wright State Raiders Horizon League 21-12
134 William & Mary Tribe Coastal Athletic Association 18-12
135 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Big West 16-14
136 St. Bonaventure Bonnies Atlantic 10 16-17
137 Portland State Vikings Big Sky 17-11
138 Rhode Island Rams Atlantic 10 16-16
139 Northern Colorado Bears Big Sky 17-12
140 Penn State Nittany Lions Big Ten 12-20
141 Navy Midshipmen Patriot League 24-8
142 Fresno State Bulldogs Mountain West 12-19
143 Toledo Rockets Mid-American 17-15
144 Idaho Vandals Big Sky 18-15
145 Winthrop Eagles Big South 20-11
146 Kent State Golden Flashes Mid-American 22-10
147 Robert Morris Colonials Horizon League 20-11
148 Washington State Cougars West Coast 11-20
149 Kennesaw State Owls Conference USA 18-14
150 Pennsylvania Quakers Ivy League 17-12
151 Troy Trojans Sun Belt 20-12
152 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Conference USA 16-14
153 Bowling Green Falcons Mid-American 15-14
154 East Tennessee State Buccaneers Southern 21-11
155 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Conference USA 14-15
156 Arkansas State Red Wolves Sun Belt 18-12
157 Valparaiso Beacons Missouri Valley 17-15
158 Richmond Spiders Atlantic 10 14-17
159 Charleston Cougars Coastal Athletic Association 20-11
160 Towson Tigers Coastal Athletic Association 17-15
161 Harvard Crimson Ivy League 16-12
162 Central Arkansas Bears ASUN 20-12
163 Boston College Eagles Atlantic Coast 11-20
164 Austin Peay Governors ASUN 20-9
165 Temple Owls American 15-16
166 UT Arlington Mavericks Western Athletic 16-14
167 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Atlantic Coast 11-20
168 Oregon State Beavers West Coast 17-16
169 Oakland Golden Grizzlies Horizon League 15-16
170 Loyola Marymount Lions West Coast 14-17
171 UC Davis Aggies Big West 17-14
172 Cornell Big Red Ivy League 13-13
173 Cal State Northridge Matadors Big West 18-14
174 Charlotte 49ers American 16-17
175 Cal State Fullerton Titans Big West 16-16
176 Northern Kentucky Norse Horizon League 17-14
177 Fordham Rams Atlantic 10 14-15
178 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders Southland 14-15
179 Montana Grizzlies Big Sky 15-15
180 Furman Paladins Southern 19-13
181 Merrimack Warriors Metro Atlantic Athletic 23-11
182 New Mexico State Aggies Conference USA 13-16
183 Monmouth Hawks Coastal Athletic Association 18-15
184 Siena Saints Metro Atlantic Athletic 23-12
185 Eastern Washington Eagles Big Sky 13-19
186 Tennessee State Tigers Ohio Valley 20-10
187 Mercer Bears Southern 16-13
188 Marshall Thundering Herd Sun Belt 18-13
189 Columbia Lions Ivy League 14-12
190 Utah Tech Trailblazers Western Athletic 16-15
191 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Conference USA 17-14
192 Queens University Royals ASUN 20-14
193 Drake Bulldogs Missouri Valley 12-20
194 Tulane Green Wave American 17-15
195 Campbell Fighting Camels Coastal Athletic Association 14-18
196 Lipscomb Bisons ASUN 17-13
197 Weber State Wildcats Big Sky 14-16
198 UMBC Retrievers America East 22-9
199 Marist Red Foxes Metro Atlantic Athletic 18-12
200 Long Island University Sharks Northeast 24-11
201 Florida International Panthers Conference USA 12-17
202 Massachusetts Minutemen Mid-American 16-16
203 South Alabama Jaguars Sun Belt 19-12
204 App State Mountaineers Sun Belt 17-13
205 New Orleans Privateers Southland 15-18
206 Howard Bison Mid-Eastern Athletic 20-11
207 Buffalo Bulls Mid-American 15-15
208 Portland Pilots West Coast 13-19
209 Missouri State Bears Conference USA 13-18
210 Green Bay Phoenix Horizon League 16-15
211 UT Martin Skyhawks Ohio Valley 19-11
212 Detroit Mercy Titans Horizon League 15-15
213 Indiana State Sycamores Missouri Valley 9-21
214 South Dakota State Jackrabbits Summit League 11-18
215 Southern Miss Golden Eagles Sun Belt 17-16
216 Cal Poly Mustangs Big West 12-19
217 Drexel Dragons Coastal Athletic Association 16-16
218 Youngstown State Penguins Horizon League 12-17
219 James Madison Dukes Sun Belt 17-15
220 Samford Bulldogs Southern 16-14
221 Jacksonville State Gamecocks Conference USA 12-17
222 Quinnipiac Bobcats Metro Atlantic Athletic 18-13
223 Western Carolina Catamounts Southern 13-16
224 Ohio Bobcats Mid-American 13-17
225 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Ohio Valley 17-13
226 Denver Pioneers Summit League 12-17
227 Georgia Southern Eagles Sun Belt 19-16
228 San José State Spartans Mountain West 8-24
229 Tarleton State Texans Western Athletic 10-18
230 Vermont Catamounts America East 20-12
231 Stony Brook Seawolves Coastal Athletic Association 15-15
232 Nicholls Colonels Southland 13-19
233 San Diego Toreros West Coast 10-21
234 Rice Owls American 11-18
235 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Sun Belt 18-13
236 Colgate Raiders Patriot League 16-15
237 Elon Phoenix Coastal Athletic Association 12-18
238 Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Horizon League 14-15
239 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles ASUN 14-18
240 Wofford Terriers Southern 17-13
241 Saint Peter's Peacocks Metro Atlantic Athletic 16-12
242 La Salle Explorers Atlantic 10 8-23
243 Texas State Bobcats Sun Belt 17-13
244 Lamar Cardinals Southland 10-19
245 Iona Gaels Metro Atlantic Athletic 18-14
246 Idaho State Bengals Big Sky 10-20
247 Charleston Southern Buccaneers Big South 12-17
248 UNC Asheville Bulldogs Big South 12-17
249 Fairfield Stags Metro Atlantic Athletic 20-13
250 Omaha Mavericks Summit League 12-17
251 Abilene Christian Wildcats Western Athletic 11-19
252 Eastern Michigan Eagles Mid-American 9-21
253 American University Eagles Patriot League 14-16
254 Long Beach State Beach Big West 8-22
255 East Carolina Pirates American 10-20
256 Old Dominion Monarchs Sun Belt 11-21
257 Radford Highlanders Big South 13-16
258 Milwaukee Panthers Horizon League 11-20
259 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Southwestern Athletic 16-15
260 SIU Edwardsville Cougars Ohio Valley 16-13
261 Boston University Terriers Patriot League 16-17
262 Incarnate Word Cardinals Southland 9-19
263 Presbyterian Blue Hose Big South 12-18
264 Dartmouth Big Green Ivy League 9-16
265 Princeton Tigers Ivy League 8-20
266 UTEP Miners Conference USA 8-20
267 Lindenwood Lions Ohio Valley 15-15
268 North Dakota Fighting Hawks Summit League 15-17
269 Sacramento State Hornets Big Sky 7-21
270 Morehead State Eagles Ohio Valley 17-13
271 Longwood Lancers Big South 13-16
272 UC Riverside Highlanders Big West 8-22
273 Pepperdine Waves West Coast 7-23
274 Loyola Chicago Ramblers Atlantic 10 9-24
275 South Dakota Coyotes Summit League 13-16
276 Hampton Pirates Coastal Athletic Association 11-19
277 Southern Utah Thunderbirds Western Athletic 7-22
278 Western Michigan Broncos Mid-American 9-20
279 Lehigh Mountain Hawks Patriot League 16-17
280 Southern Jaguars Southwestern Athletic 14-17
281 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers Metro Atlantic Athletic 14-17
282 Mercyhurst Lakers Northeast 15-17
283 Bellarmine Knights ASUN 11-19
284 Central Connecticut Blue Devils Northeast 16-12
285 SE Louisiana Lions Southland 8-22
286 Houston Christian Huskies Southland 10-20
287 Central Michigan Chippewas Mid-American 8-21
288 North Carolina A&T Aggies Coastal Athletic Association 9-19
289 Delaware Blue Hens Conference USA 10-20
290 Northwestern State Demons Southland 8-22
291 Northeastern Huskies Coastal Athletic Association 7-24
292 Le Moyne Dolphins Northeast 14-17
293 West Georgia Wolves ASUN 13-17
294 South Carolina Upstate Spartans Big South 10-19
295 Eastern Kentucky Colonels ASUN 9-21
296 Brown Bears Ivy League 7-18
297 Ball State Cardinals Mid-American 10-19
298 East Texas A&M Lions Southland 9-21
299 Prairie View A&M Panthers Southwestern Athletic 15-18
300 UNC Greensboro Spartans Southern 13-19
301 Jacksonville Dolphins ASUN 10-20
302 Sacred Heart Pioneers Metro Atlantic Athletic 13-19
303 Grambling Tigers Southwestern Athletic 12-19
304 Wagner Seahawks Northeast 11-17
305 Chattanooga Mocs Southern 10-19
306 Evansville Purple Aces Missouri Valley 5-25
307 Alabama A&M Bulldogs Southwestern Athletic 15-15
308 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Summit League 7-23
309 Florida A&M Rattlers Southwestern Athletic 13-16
310 Georgia State Panthers Sun Belt 8-22
311 Little Rock Trojans Ohio Valley 10-20
312 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Big Sky 7-22
313 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Ohio Valley 10-18
314 Stetson Hatters ASUN 10-21
315 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Sun Belt 11-22
316 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions Southwestern Athletic 11-19
317 UMass Lowell River Hawks America East 12-18
318 Cleveland State Vikings Horizon League 8-22
319 Norfolk State Spartans Mid-Eastern Athletic 11-17
320 Texas Southern Tigers Southwestern Athletic 10-18
321 Eastern Illinois Panthers Ohio Valley 10-20
322 IU Indianapolis Jaguars Horizon League 5-25
323 Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners Big West 6-24
324 Lafayette Leopards Patriot League 10-21
325 Alabama State Hornets Southwestern Athletic 9-22
326 Loyola Maryland Greyhounds Patriot League 10-20
327 UAlbany Great Danes America East 8-21
328 New Haven Chargers Northeast 11-17
329 NJIT Highlanders America East 15-17
330 Holy Cross Crusaders Patriot League 9-22
331 Northern Illinois Huskies Mid-American 7-21
332 Bucknell Bison Patriot League 10-23
333 Stonehill Skyhawks Northeast 10-21
334 Manhattan Jaspers Metro Atlantic Athletic 11-20
335 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Northeast 8-21
336 UTSA Roadrunners American 3-25
337 North Florida Ospreys ASUN 5-25
338 North Alabama Lions ASUN 7-21
339 Army Black Knights Patriot League 9-21
340 Chicago State Cougars Northeast 6-25
341 Air Force Falcons Mountain West 3-29
342 Jackson State Tigers Southwestern Athletic 12-21
343 North Carolina Central Eagles Mid-Eastern Athletic 10-18
344 New Hampshire Wildcats America East 7-21
345 Niagara Purple Eagles Metro Atlantic Athletic 7-22
346 Canisius Golden Griffins Metro Atlantic Athletic 9-21
347 Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Ohio Valley 5-23
348 The Citadel Bulldogs Southern 8-22
349 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks Mid-Eastern Athletic 7-23
350 Maine Black Bears America East 7-24
351 Alcorn State Braves Southwestern Athletic 9-23
352 Morgan State Bears Mid-Eastern Athletic 11-16
353 Bryant Bulldogs America East 7-22
354 Saint Francis Red Flash Northeast 5-24
355 UL Monroe Warhawks Sun Belt 2-28
356 South Carolina State Bulldogs Mid-Eastern Athletic 8-22
357 Kansas City Roos Summit League 1-27
358 Rider Broncs Metro Atlantic Athletic 3-25
359 VMI Keydets Southern 3-26
360 Binghamton Bearcats America East 5-23
361 Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Big South 2-28
362 Delaware State Hornets Mid-Eastern Athletic 5-22
363 Coppin State Eagles Mid-Eastern Athletic 6-24
364 Western Illinois Leathernecks Ohio Valley 2-26
365 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Southwestern Athletic 2-30

Computer rankings

The metrics on the committee's team sheets, and the independent models worth reading alongside them. The 2027 change worth knowing: the Wins Above Bubble baseline moved from the 45th NET team to the 55th, because there are eight more at-large bids to give out.

SourceTypeOn the team sheetWhat it is good for
NCAA NET Results + efficiency Yes The sorting metric for team sheets and quadrant definitions. Released weekly from early December.
Wins Above Bubble Resume Yes Credit for beating good teams, more of it on the road. Baseline moves to the 55th NET team for 2027.
KenPom Predictive Yes Adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Subscription for full detail.
Bart Torvik (T-Rank) Predictive Yes Free, deep, and the best place to build your own resume filters.
ESPN BPI Predictive Yes Accounts for injuries and travel.
Strength of Record Resume Yes How hard the schedule would have been for a top-25 team.
KPI Resume Yes Game-by-game credit weighted by opponent and location.
Sagarin Predictive No Long-running, still a useful sanity check.
Haslametrics Predictive No Tempo-free with score projections for every matchup.
EvanMiya Predictive No Player-level Bayesian ratings and lineup impact.
Massey Ratings Composite No Aggregates dozens of published systems.
Bracket Matrix Projection consensus No Averages published brackets, including this one. The check on your own work.

How this is built

Selecting the field

Thirty-two automatic bids, one per conference, projected to each league's highest-rated team. The next 44 teams by rating take the at-large berths, for a field of 76.

Ratings come from RankSlate, our own engine modeled on the committee's NET methodology. During the season it updates from game results and the conference standings; in the offseason it runs on the previous season's final numbers.

Building the seed list

All 76 teams are ranked into true seeds 1 through 76. The 12 lowest-rated automatic qualifiers are held to positions 65–76, which is where the committee's Opening Round rules assume they sit.

Each Opening Round pair then collapses into one bracket entry, leaving 64. Re-ranking those gives the seed line: line = ceil(rank / 4).

Placing the teams

The four No. 1 seeds go to the closest available regional site in overall seed order, then the semifinal pairing is set 1 v 4 and 2 v 3.

Every line after that is placed in true seed order into the region that most needs the strength, subject to the conference separation rules. Pods are assigned to first- and second-round sites by travel distance, best seeds first.