The road to the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships are filled with excitement, debate and meticulous analysis. But how do the 68-team fields actually get selected? This guide provides both a quick overview of the process for the general fan, as well as a deeper, behind-the-scenes look at the selection process, criteria and key factors that shape the brackets for March Madness.
The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships
The men’s and women’s tournaments feature a 68-team bracket, composed of 31 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large teams.
31 automatic qualifiers — Teams that win their conference tournaments receive automatic bids.
37 at-large teams — The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees use a combination of metrics and evaluation tools to choose the at-large teams.
Each tournament features an opening-round First Four, followed by first and second rounds, regional semifinals and finals — affectionately known as the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively — and the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours.
Men’s and women’s teams that do not make the field of 68 are eligible for the National Invitation Tournament and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. The NIT and WBIT are both managed by the NCAA and have their own selection process.
Who selects the teams?
The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees, respectively, oversee the selection, seeding and bracketing process for each tournament. These committees evaluate teams starting with the first night of the season and all the way until Selection Sunday using data-driven metrics, game results and expert observations to determine the best at-large teams and ensure competitive balance in the tournaments. The committees meet multiple times throughout the season to analyze team performance and adjust rankings accordingly. That’s nearly five months of evaluating!
The Division I men’s and women’s committees are composed of conference commissioners, athletics directors and experienced administrators from across Division I basketball. Each committee consists of 12 members serving five-year terms, ensuring a fair and balanced approach to selection.
Selection begins with each committee member submitting an initial ballot on the first day of the selections meeting, followed by rounds of voting and discussion until the final bracket is set.
What metrics are used to evaluate teams throughout the season?
Committee members rely on a broad set of observation, consultation and data resources throughout the season and during selection week to make informed decisions.
These resources include game evaluations, conference monitoring, coaches rankings, box scores, head-to-head results, common-opponent results, imbalanced conference schedules and results, nonconference strength of schedule, quality wins and losses, road performance, player/coach availability and computer metrics.
Two commonly referred-to computer metrics used in the men’s and women’s process are the NCAA Evaluation Tool (or NET) and Wins Above Bubble (WAB).
NET vs. WAB: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category |
NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) |
WAB (Wins Above Bubble) |
| Implemented |
2018-19 (Men), 2020-21 (Women). |
2024-25 (Men), 2025-26 (Women). |
| Primary Purpose |
Measures how good/efficient a team is and how hard it is to beat: “How good are you?” |
Compares actual wins to expected wins to show strength of team’s résumé: “What have you accomplished?” |
| Core Concept |
Blends adjusted efficiency and results, accounting for the game location and quality of opponent. |
Compares a team’s results to what a bubble team (NET No. 45) would be expected to do vs. the same schedule. |
| What It Rewards |
Efficiency performance against quality competition, with additional emphasis on game location. |
Beating strong teams, especially on the road; avoiding bad losses. |
| Penalties |
Poor efficiency, particularly at home against poor competition. |
Losing to weak teams, especially at home. |
| Uses Scoring Margin? |
No. |
No. |
| Uses Efficiency Data? |
Yes (offensive and defensive efficiency). |
No. |
| How It's Used in Selection |
Teams are sorted in quadrants by NET ranking, allowing a quick view to how they performed against various levels of competition. |
Helps assess résumé quality for at-large bids. |
| Interpretation |
Lower rank = stronger team. |
0.0 = performed like a bubble team; positive = better résumé, negative = weaker. |
| Season Timing |
More optimal the closer we are to Selection Sunday. |
More optimal the closer we are to Selection Sunday. |
How are the brackets built?
The Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees are responsible for selecting the 37 at-large teams and ranking them into their respective brackets. While there are some differences in the details of how each bracket is created, the general process and principles of selecting the teams and seeding them are similar.
Selecting Teams for March Madness
- Each committee member chooses the top eight teams, in no particular order, from teams that are under consideration.
- The top eight vote-getters are ranked 1 through 8 by each committee member, with the top four from that vote moving into the field. The other four are placed in a "holding room."
- The committee members then list eight more teams from the under-consideration list.
- The top four vote-getters join the other four in holding for a rank of those eight teams. The top four from that ranking are moved into the field.
- This process repeats itself until 37 at-large teams have been selected.
Seeding Teams: Creating the True Seed List
The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees rank the 68 teams using a seed list, which orders teams from 1 through 68. This seed list remains unchanged once finalized and serves as the basis for placing teams into the tournament bracket. While the seed list is finalized the morning of Selection Sunday, contingencies are put into place based on potential outcomes of Sunday's games.
Teams are ranked and placed using a voting process:
- The seeding process begins with each committee member choosing the top eight teams, in no particular order, from teams that have already been voted into the field or have earned automatic qualification.
- The top eight vote-getters are ranked 1 through 8 by each committee member, with the top four from that vote moving into the top four spots on the overall seed list. The other four are placed in a “holding room.”
- The committee members then list eight more teams from the teams that already have been voted into the field or have earned automatic qualification.
- The top four vote-getters join the other four in holding for a rank of those eight teams.
- The top four from that ranking are moved into the field as the initial 2 seeds (spots 5-8 on the overall seed list).
- This process repeats itself until all tournament teams have been seeded.
- Throughout selection week and right up until the morning of Selection Sunday, the committees will revisit the seed list, scrubbing it until they are satisfied with the order of the 68 teams. The scrubbing process involves comparing the first team with the second, the second with the third, the third with the fourth, and so on. When a team moves up a spot on the seed list, it is then compared with the next team up, and when a team moves down a spot on the seed list, it is compared with the next team down.
Understanding how teams are selected and seeded is critical for appreciating the complexity of March Madness. It’s a careful balancing act that combines data-driven analysis with subjective judgment. The process may seem like a mystery to many, but by seeing how seeding and selection works, fans can gain a greater appreciation for the tournament.
Did You Know?
- Teams may not always land in their “true seed” due to bracketing principles.
- In men’s basketball, because there are five conference championship games played on Selection Sunday, there are contingent seed lists based on those outcomes. Because bracketing can’t begin until the overall seed list is finalized, there are several brackets produced on Sunday, based on the combinations of Sunday’s outcomes that impact the seed list.
Debunking NCAA tournament myths?
Even with this look into the postseason process, there are plenty of misconceptions about how teams are selected, seeded and placed in the brackets for the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships.
Some of these misconceptions include:
- The NET ranking is the only factor that matters.
- Conference affiliation plays a role in selection.
- Winning 20 games guarantees a tournament spot.
- The committee ensures certain matchups for drama.
- The last four in and first four out are set in stone.
- The committees favor blue-blood programs.
- Committee members work together to rank teams for selection and seeding purposes.
- Late-season performance is the most important factor.
- Television networks influence the bracket.
- A winning conference record ensures a bid.
Learn more about Debunking NCAA tournament myths.
While many of the myths surrounding Selection Sunday have persisted over the years, the reality is that the committees follow a thorough, structured process that prioritizes fairness and balance.
Want to learn more?
Click below for a deeper dive into how each the men’s and women’s tournament selections are conducted.
Learn more about the Men’s NCAA Tournament Selections Learn more about the Women’s NCAA Tournament Selections
