Men's Bracketology: 2025 NCAA Tournament

By Joe Lunardi Updated: 12/17/2024 at 10:30 a.m. ET

Here at Bracketology HQ, we track every result every night, ranking and re-ranking what will eventually comprise the NCAA tournament's field of 68. We'll update the bracket every Tuesday in December before moving to twice-weekly updates when conference play picks up in January 2025.

Bracket Watch

Everyone is talking SEC basketball, and for good reason. The league is obliterating everything in its path, posting the greatest nonconference numbers anyone has ever seen. It has three No. 1 seeds in this bracket, with Kentucky joining Auburn and Tennessee on the top line. Six of the first 12 teams on the seed list are from the SEC -- a bracketing nightmare for the selection committee but a dream come true for the conference commissioner. Overall, the league sees 13 of its 16 members in our latest field. While the bid total won't stay quite that high once conference play begins, the depth and power of the SEC is going to be remarkable even come March. And it's hardly a case of feasting only on the woeful. The league has posted 23 Quadrant 1 wins to date, miles ahead of the 18-team Big Ten (16), 16-team Big 12 (12) and 18-team ACC (11). So, mark your calendars for the first day of conference play on Jan. 4. It'll be the first time the SEC goes .500 this year.

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

SOUTH (ATLANTA)

Lexington

Denver

Milwaukee

Cleveland

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Cleveland

Denver

Wichita

Seattle

MIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)

Lexington

Providence

Wichita

Raleigh

EAST (NEWARK)

Milwaukee

Providence

Seattle

Raleigh

Conference Breakdown

Conference

Team

Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock

RULES

ESPN's Bracketology efforts are focused on projecting the NCAA tournament field just as we expect the NCAA Division I basketball committee to select the field in March. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi uses the same data points favored by the committee, including strength of schedule and other season-long indicators, including the NET and team-sheet data similar to what is available to the NCAA, in his projections of the field. Visit the NCAA's website for a fuller understanding of NCAA selection criteria.

68-Team Bracket

The 68-team bracket is the standard version of the NCAA tournament field that has been in place since 2011. If the 2021 field is comprised of 68 teams, there will be some key differences to past years, however.

The primary adjustment from a normal year is, of course, the playing of the entire NCAA tournament at a single site. This eliminates the need for geographical considerations in seeding. Additionally, there will be at least one fewer automatic qualifier this season, as the Ivy League's decision to forgo the 2020-21 season reduces the number of AQ entries to 31 for this season.

48-Team Bracket

In this projection, a condensed selection process would reduce the field by 10 at-large teams and 10 automatic qualifiers (the latter of which still receive a revenue unit). The top four seeds in each region would receive a bye into the second round, with four first-round games per region - 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9 - being played without fans on the higher seed's home court.

To minimize travel, first-round pairings will be guided by geography to the greatest extent possible. And the reduced field results in only 32 teams competing at the central site. All participants must post a minimum .500 conference record - the "Lunardi Rule" - for at-large consideration.

16-Team Bracket

In this projection, the committee selects and seeds the 16 best available teams. There are no automatic qualifiers, although all non-competing conference champions receive the designated revenue unit.

To maintain some sense of national balance, conference participation is capped at four teams. And no region shall have more than one team from the same conference.

ESPN

Bracket Watch

Top Overall Seed

First Team Out

Last Team In

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

SOUTH (ATLANTA)

Lexington

Denver

Milwaukee

Cleveland

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Cleveland

Denver

Wichita

Seattle

MIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)

Lexington

Providence

Wichita

Raleigh

EAST (NEWARK)

Milwaukee

Providence

Seattle

Raleigh

Conference Breakdown

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