The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is officially set. There wasn't much drama about who would be the four No. 1 seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament, although there was a discussion heading into the weekend about who the No. 1 overall seed would be. That distinction goes to Duke, a program that will be part of a loaded East Region.
Arizona, Michigan and Florida also earned No. 1 seeds in the Big Dance. The Gators head into this tournament as the reigning nations champions but a road to a repeat might feature a "road game" in the Elite Eight, if chalk prevails. That's because the second weekend of the tournament will be played in Houston, and the Houston Cougars earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region.
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Like every year, the bubble was a major talking point in the minutes leading up to the official bracket being unveiled. The final four teams in the field were NC State, Texas, SMU and Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks were one of the most talked about teams after losing in the first round of the MAC Tournament earlier this week just days after finishing the regular season undefeated.
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The four teams that just missed the cut line were Oklahoma, Auburn, San Diego State and Indiana. The Sooners won two games at the SEC Tournament, but their final impression to the selection committee wasn't enough.
Watch the Selection Show for the 2026 NCAA Tournament beginning at 6 p.m. ET live on CBS and streaming on March Madness Live. Keep on reading for live updates from Selection Sunday as the March Madness bracket gets filled out.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Selection Show.
Miami (Ohio) gets in ... barely
One of the biggest storylines entering the week was the status of Miami (Ohio). In the WAB (wins above bubble) rankings, Miami was No. 38 (+1.68). It's a key metric the selection committee uses to decide who gets in and who stays home. The RedHawks had a higher WAB than most bubble teams, primarily because of their 31-1 record.
Miami University was one of the "Last Four In" in the field, alongside NC State, SMU and Texas. Miami was selected with room to spare because of its resume. However, Miami was seeded as the worst at-large team because of its predictives. Miami will have a game in nearby Dayton against SMU with a trip to the first round on the line.
East Region full of big brands, big names
The East Region, headlined by No. 1 overall seed Duke, will feature some of the biggest brands and best coaches in the sport. Here are just some of the names that will be coaching first-round games in the East Region.
- Jon Scheyer, Duke
- Rick Pitino, St. John's
- Bill Self, Kansas
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State
- Mick Cronin, UCLA
- Dan Hurley, UConn
There could be two marquee second-round matchups on tap if chalk prevails. No. 5 seed St. John's could go up against No. 4 seed Kansas. In the bottom half of the bracket, No. 7 seed UCLA could have a date with No. 2 seed UConn. Of course, if the higher seeds advance, an epic matchup between Duke and UConn could decide who goes to the Final Four. Sign me up.
UNC a No. 6 seed with star out for tourney
North Carolina will head into the NCAA Tournament without star Caleb Wilson after he suffered a hand injury that required season-ending surgery last month. The committee can adjust seeding based on injuries and other factors. North Carolina finished 24-8 overall and lost in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
There are varying schools of thought on how UNC's fate changed with Wilson's injury. I could see the Tar Heels having an argument as a 5-seed. There's also the fact that if he were healthy down the closing stretch, UNC could have added a handful of extra wins. Others think UNC was destined to be a 6-seed, any way you slice it.
At any rate, the Tar Heels will have a matchup against No. 11 seed VCU in the first round. It was a more comfortable Selection Sunday for Hubert Davis than a year ago, when UNC was a controversial "Last Four In" selection. The Tar Heels that season beat fellow play-in team San Diego State and then lost to Ole Miss in the official first round.
