Men's Bracketology: 2025 NCAA Tournament

By Joe Lunardi Updated: 03/07/2025 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Here at Bracketology HQ, we track every result, day and night, ranking and reranking what will eventually constitute the NCAA tournament's field of 68. With Champ Week underway, Bracketology will be updated with each change to the projected seed list, from the Ohio Valley title game on March 8 to the Big Ten final on March 16, and everything in between!

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Auburn lost a game this week, which is a headline only because it hasn't happened very often this season. What shouldn't be lost, regardless of the final regular-season record, is what a remarkable year the Tigers have had. Even with the defeat, and a closing home date with Alabama that could go either way, Auburn will enter Champ Week as the runaway No. 1 NCAA tournament seed. At 27-3, against the nation's top-ranked schedule, the Tigers are 24 games above .500. This is a staggering accomplishment, especially when you consider 60% of their games have come against Q1 competition. They're 15-3 in those games, 6-2 on the road. Their only losses are against teams ranked Nos. 1, 4 and 20 in the NET. Theirs is arguably the greatest regular season since Kentucky arrived at the 2015 Final Four 38-0. We know those Wildcats didn't quite reach the finish line, and maybe Auburn won't, either. But what we have witnessed to date should not be forgotten.

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

SOUTH (ATLANTA)

Lexington

Seattle

Providence

Cleveland

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Raleigh

Providence

Milwaukee

Wichita

EAST (NEWARK)

Raleigh

1aq - Duke
16aq - Quinnipiac
aq - SE Missouri State/
8 UConn
9 Vanderbilt

Seattle

Milwaukee

Lexington

MIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)

Wichita

Denver

Cleveland

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 composed 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

Seattle

Providence

Cleveland

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Raleigh

Providence

Milwaukee

Wichita

EAST (NEWARK)

Raleigh

Seattle

Milwaukee

Lexington

MIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)

Wichita

Denver

Denver

Cleveland

Conference Breakdown

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