NCAA Tournament Brackets Revealed: Georgia and South Carolina Teams Included
The NCAA Basketball Tournament brackets have been revelaed.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Jeremiah Fears #0 of the Oklahoma Sooners is comforted as he walks off the court following the 85-84 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats during the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament – First Round at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. The win helped secure Georgia’s spot in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesBy The Associated Press
The men's No. 1 seeds are Auburn, Houston, Duke and Florida. The women's are UCLA, South Carolina, Southern California and Texas.
The men's First Four will be played in Dayton, Ohio, beginning on Tuesday. The women's First Four will begin Wednesday.
Here's the latest on this Selection Sunday:
Betting favorites for men's, women's NCAA titles
Florida (+350) is the favorite to win the men's title at BetMGM Sportsbook, but only slightly over Duke (+360), Auburn (4-1) and Houston (6-1). Alabama is 15-1.
In the women's tournament, South Carolina (+270) is a slim favorite over UConn (+275), with UCLA (5-1), USC (+550), Texas (6-1) and Notre Dame (6-1) in the mix. Then it's a big gap before N.C. State and LSU at 40-1.
Big Ten gets record entries
The Big Ten put a record 12 teams into the women's field, including top seeds UCLA and Southern California.
The SEC has 10 teams and the ACC eight. The Big 12 has seven. The Ivy League (three) received more bids than the Big East (two).
Monumental matchups could await in Elite 8
No. 1 seed Texas could face No. 2 seed TCU in an Elite Eight clash of in-state rivals in Regional 3.
In Regional 4, the top two seeds are Southern California and UConn, who met in December in one of the season's best games.
JuJu Watkins and USC beat Paige Bueckers and the Huskies 72-70.
Notre Dame women get a surprising seed
Notre Dame lost three of its last five games, dropping from a potential top seed to a third seed.
The Fighting Irish will play 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin in the opening round.
They will host the first and second rounds before potentially traveling to Birmingham, Alabama, for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.
The Irish are 26-5 this season and earned a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
Kentucky, Ohio State, Maryland and Baylor secure hosting seeds
The top-four seeds in each region get to host the first two rounds in the women's tournament.
That means No. 4 seeds Kentucky, Ohio State, Maryland and Baylor were the last few teams to receive home court. They did it at the expense of the No. 5 seeds: Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kansas State.
Women's Regional 4 bracket
No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro
No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State
No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty
No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State
Women's Regional 3 bracket
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 High Point/William & Mary
No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton
No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin
No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska
No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson
Women's Regional 2 bracket
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech
No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State
No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/Washington
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State
No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh
Women's Regional 1 bracket
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 UC San Diego/Southern
No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
No. 5 Mississippi vs. No. 12 Ball State
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon
No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard
No. 2 N.C. State vs. No. 15 Vermont
West Virginia, Boise State, Indiana left out of men's tourney
Boise State and Indiana are on the outside looking in after Texas and North Carolina squeaked into the men's NCAA Tournament.
And West Virginia may be an even more surprising omission. The Mountaineers were not even one of the last four in when ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the Washington Post made their projections. They were expected to make it more comfortably than that.
SEC shatters record
The Southeastern Conference shattered the previous record for getting the most teams into the NCAA Tournament. The previous mark was 11 set by the Big East in 2011.
The SEC topped it by three, with Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas all getting in. Only LSU and South Carolina were left out from the league best known as a football powerhouse.
Men's West Region
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC-Wilmington
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas
No. 2 St. John's vs. No. 15 Omaha
Men's Midwest Region
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia
No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese State
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Texas/ Xavier
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford
Men's East Region
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary's
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana
No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris
Men's South Region
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State/Saint Francis
No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Crieghton
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 San Diego St/North Carolina
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb
No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant
Conference realignment slightly alters bids
Each conference receives an automatic bid to both the men's and women's tournaments, and then the rest of those fields are filled by the committee's at-large selections.
The recent demise of the Pac-12 lowered the number of automatic qualifiers to 31, leaving room for 37 at-large teams.
Hey football fans, the SEC is a basketball power, too
The Southeastern Conference, normally a football power, has been unusually strong this season in basketball.
Its two newest members — Oklahoma and Texas — are both on the bubble, but if they get in, the SEC could have as many as 14 of its 16 teams in the men's tournament.
March Madness is ready for its 'Cinderella'
A high seed that makes a run to the Sweet 16 or beyond is affectionately called "Cinderella."
Five No. 11 seeds have advanced to the men's Final Four: LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), Loyola Chicago (2018) and N.C. State (2024).
Villanova is considered the ultimate Cinderella — the Wildcats won the 1985 NCAA Tournament by upsetting top-seeded Georgetown as a No. 8 seed, the lowest to ever win the title.
Finding a Cinderella is tougher on the women's side. No teams lower than a No. 3 seed have won the women's event. It happened three times: 1994 North Carolina, 1997 Tennessee and 2023 LSU.
Men's NCAA Tournament schedule
First Four: March 18-19
First round: March 20-21
Second round: March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27-28
Elite Eight: March 29-30
Final Four: April 5
Championship game: April 7
Women's NCAA Tournament schedule
First Four: March 19-20
First round: March 21-22
Second round: March 23-24
Sweet 16: March 28-29
Elite Eight: March 30-31
Final Four: April 4
Championship game: April 6
Men's tournament locations
The First Four will be played in Dayton, Ohio. The first and second rounds are in Cleveland; Denver; Lexington, Kentucky; Milwaukee; Providence, Rhode Island; Raleigh, North Carolina; Seattle; and Wichita, Kansas.
The regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and finals (Elite Eight) will take place in Newark, New Jersey (East Region); Atlanta (South); Indianapolis (Midwest); and San Francisco (West). The tournament ends with the Final Four and championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Women's tournament locations
The women's First Four is played at campus sites, which also will host first- and second-round games.
The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be held at two venues — one in Birmingham, Alabama, and the other in Spokane, Washington.
The Final Four and championship game will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
