What a 96-team NCAA Tournament might look like

[SelectionSunday]

Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT!

This uses last year’s 32 automatic qualifiers, with the 64 at-larges being filled in with the best available NET rankings. Bracket uses S-curve and eliminates any provisions about when and what round teams can play other teams from their conference.

WEST (Gonzaga #1 overall seed)
#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Saint John’s/#17 Utah State winner

#8 Alabama vs. #9 TCU/#24 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi winner

#4 Texas vs. 13 UAB/#20 Rutgers winner

#5 North Carolina vs. #12 Seton Hall/#21 Richmond winner

#2 Texas Tech vs. #15 VCU/#18 Missouri State winner

#7 Wisconsin vs. #10 USC/#23 Yale winner

#3 Kentucky vs. #14 Vermont/#19 West Virginia winner

#6 Providence vs. #11 Iowa State/#22 Jacksonville State winner

EAST (Arizona #4 overall seed)
#1 Arizona vs. #16 Florida/#17 Virginia winner

#8 Murray State vs. #9 Texas A&M/#24 Wright State winner

#4 Auburn vs. #13 Dayton/#20 Fresno State winner

#5 LSU vs. #12 Oklahoma State/#21 Akron winner

#2 Baylor vs. #15 Mississippi State/#18 Kansas State

#7 Loyola-Chicago vs. #10 Xavier/#23 Norfolk State winner

#3 Purdue vs. #14 SMU/#19 Oregon winner

#6 Arkansas vs. #11 Indiana/#22 Montana State winner

SOUTH (Houston #2 overall seed)
#1 Houston vs. #16 Chattanooga/#17 Saint Louis winner

#8 Memphis vs. #9 Boise State/#24 Bryant winner

#4 Illinois vs. #13 Marquette/#20 Belmont winner

#5 UConn vs. #12 Miami-Florida/#21 Saint Peter’s winner

#2 Tennessee vs. #15 Wyoming/#18 Towson winner

#7 San Francisco vs. #10 Oklahoma/#23 Cal State-Fullerton winner

#3 Duke vs. #14 North Texas/#19 Colorado winner

#6 Ohio State vs. #11 Wake Forest/#22 Delaware winner

MIDWEST (Kansas #3 overall seed)
#1 Kansas vs. #16 Vanderbilt/#17 South Dakota State winner

#8 San Diego State vs. #9 Colorado State/#24 Texas Southern winner

#4 Iowa vs. #13 Creighton/#20 New Mexico State winner

#5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 Davidson/#21 Colgate winner

#2 Villanova vs. #15 BYU/#18 Santa Clara winner

#7 Michigan vs. #10 Michigan State/#23 Georgia State winner

#3 UCLA vs. #14 Washington State/#19 Saint Bonaventure winner

#6 Virginia Tech vs. #11 Notre Dame/#22 Longwood winner
—————————-

Last 4 In: Oregon, Fresno State, Belmont, Rutgers

First 4 Out: Clemson, Furman, Syracuse, Drake

Rough Bubble Cutline: #80 Rutgers

Under .500 At-Larges (2): Kansas State, West Virginia

BIDS BY CONFERENCE
Big XII (10)
SEC (10)
Big Ten (9)
Big East (8)
ACC (7)
Atlantic 10 (6)
Mountain West (6)
Pac 12 (6)
WCC (5)
American (3)
CAA (2)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
OVC (2)
America East (1)
ASUN (1)
Big Sky (1)
Big South (1)
Big West (1)
Horizon (1)
Ivy (1)
MAAC (1)
MAC (1)
MEAC (1)
NEC (1)
Patriot (1)
SoCon (1)
Southland (1)
SWAC (1)
Summit (1)
Sun Belt (1)
WAC (1)

2021-22 Hypothetical Field of 96 Bids
Power 6 Bids = 50 (52.1%)
Non-Power 6 Bids = 46 (47.9%)

2021-22 Actual Field of 68 Bids
Power 6 Bids = 35 (51.5%)
Non-Power 6 Bids = 33 (48.5%)

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

Nice work. I see you left out the Gophers. I can understand why, but man, at 96 I wish you could find a home for them.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Thanks.

I used last year’s final NET rankings for the (presumed) at-large teams. Rutgers was the last at-large team at #80. Gophers finished at #109.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Hard pass.

 

[Ope3]

When the Tourney expands to 96, I hope they give all 32 Conference winners a bye.

 

[Stan]

NCAA loves to ruin a good thing. Brick by brick.

 

[howeda7]

Didn't Rutgers make the 66 team field? How could they still be last 4 in on a 96 team field?

 

[LongLiveMilesTarver]

They should cut it back to 64 and get rid of the play in games and the last four in.

Expanding an already diluted product is never a good idea.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Didn't Rutgers make the 66 team field? How could they still be last 4 in on a 96 team field?

Because (for this exercise) I filled in the 64 at-larges based on their NET ranking. Rutgers had one of the worst RPI/NET rankings to ever receive an at-large bid. It might’ve been the worst, if my memory is correct.