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BRACKET BREAKDOWN: October 27th

This is ONLY October.

Between now and Selection Sunday, each Friday during the regular season I’ll give a “BRACKET BREAKDOWN” with my 68 projected teams for the 2026 NCAA Tournament along with my Top 16 seeds as well as emerging trends.

The team who is currently in first place in their respective conference will be listed as that league’s “automatic qualifier”.

The Current Field

Atlantic Sun (1)
Lipscomb (AQ)
America East (1)
Vermont (AQ)
American Athletic Conference (1)
Memphis (AQ)
Atlantic 10 (1)
VCU (AQ)
ACC (5)
Duke (AQ), Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Miami
Big 12 (9)
Houston (AQ), BYU, Texas Tech, Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Baylor
Big East (5)
St. John’s (AQ), UConn, Creighton, Marquette, Georgetown
Big Sky (1)
Portland State (AQ)
Big South (1)
Radford (AQ)
Big Ten (10)
Purdue (AQ), Michigan, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Washington, Maryland
Big West (1)
UC Santa Barbara (AQ)
CAA (1)
Towson (AQ)
Conference-USA (1)
Liberty (AQ)
Horizon League (1)
Milwaukee (AQ)
Ivy League (1)
Yale (AQ)
MAAC (1)
Quinnipiac (AQ)
MAC (1)
Kent State (AQ)
MEAC (1)
Norfolk State (AQ)
Missouri Valley (1)
Illinois State (AQ)
Mountain West (1)
San Diego State (AQ)
NEC (1)
LIU (AQ)
OVC (1)
Little Rock (AQ)
Patriot League (1)
Colgate (AQ)
SEC (12)
Florida (AQ), Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Missouri, Oklahoma
Southern (1)
Chattanooga (AQ)
Southland (1)
Lamar (AQ)
SWAC (1)
Jackson State (AQ)
Summit (1)
St. Thomas (AQ)
Sun Belt (1)
James Madison (AQ)
WCC (2)
Gonzaga (AQ), Saint Mary’s
WAC (1)
Cal Baptist (AQ)

First Four Out

USC, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Virginia

Top 16 Seeds

1: Purdue, Houston, St. John’s, Florida
2: Michigan, UConn, UCLA, BYU
3: Duke, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Kentucky
4: Arizona, Louisville, Iowa State, Auburn

Five Things To Know

  • Houston gave up its title as host for the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which means the Cougars will be eligible to play Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games at the Toyota Center in Downtown Houston if they are one of the top seeds in the South Region. That could be incredibly significant in late-March.
  • The burgeoning rivalry between St. John’s and UConn could have more at stake than just the top of the Big East standings. Both of these programs could have incredible geographic advantages if they earn the top seed in the East Region on Selection Sunday. Why? The top seed in the East Region could play first and second round games in Philadelphia with Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games following the next week in Washington D.C. That would incredibly beneficial for either St. John’s and UConn, but you know as well I do — “This is ONLY October”!
  • Another team that has a geographic advantage to play for on Selection Sunday? UCLA. The Bruins — who are currently ranked SEVENTH in the ROTHSTEIN 45 — could play first and second round games in San Diego at Viejas Arena and then Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in San Jose if they earned one of the top seeds in the West Region on Selection Sunday. When UCLA advanced to three straight Final Fours under Ben Howland from 2006-08, it came out of the West Region three straight times via Sacramento, San Jose, and Phoenix.
  • The ACC hasn’t had more than five teams reach the NCAA Tournament since 2021. Last season, only four of the conference’s 18 teams — Duke, Louisville, Clemson, and North Carolina — participated in March Madness. That’s only 22.2 percent.
  • The Mountain West has averaged 4.5 bids to each of the last four NCAA Tournaments.

Leftovers