SEC Eyes March Madness Record

Conferences of power such as the SEC are closer than ever to overtake March Madness, although it may not be quite as intended as before.

Since the conference tournaments start seriously this weekend, Bracketology's initial predictions show the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Big East, to claim 39 out of 68 men tournament spaces. The SEC, which currently has eight teams in the top 25 ranking of Associated Press, including No. 1 Auburn, could achieve 13 of its 16 members the tournament-one number that would exceed the current record of 11 by The Big East 2011 by Big East. A 14th SEC program, Texas, is also a bladder team.

The big ten with five top 25 teams have 11 potential March Madness bids in the first forecasts.

The shifts partially reflect the continued effects of a frenetic wave of the conference new orientation, which dominated the university sports in spring and summer 2024. Oklahoma and Texas in particular started the SEC game last year. The big ten brought Oregon, Ucla, USC and Washington in; The Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah; And the ACC added Cal, Smu and Stanford. Four of these 13 newly oriented schools are probably March Madness participants, two more in the bladder.

Consolidation of strength

Seismic effects had such changes on the playoff of College football and still do it. The effects also achieve basketball.

For comparison: Last year's March Madness in the men's college basketball of the men's basketball comprised a total of 33 teams in these five conferences and the PAC-12 conference, before only two members, the state of Oregon and the state of Washington, was disappointed before eight schools in 2026.

A year ago, the SEC Commissioner Greg Saney openly questioned the automatic qualification of March Madness for smaller conferences. Fast lead to this day, and this type of radical Reformation does not take place-the discussions on a possible expansion or restructuring of the tournament format, which would start in 2026. Nevertheless, Sankey's fear of what he looks at as deserved teams from the tournament.

Such a train to the main conferences can also be seen in the NET ranking of the NCAA. Even the last team of the Secolina, despite an overall record from 12 to 18, 2 to 15 in the conference and 1–9 on the street, has a national ranking number 88.

Last year, every tournament unit – the NCAA formula for allocating income – was a value of around 2 million US dollars, which surrounds March Madness's financial missions for all school involved.

In the meantime there is hardly a large offer that is for conferences such as American or Atlantic 10, even if several schools enjoy strong seasons there, all the more critical.