March Madness: 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket revealed
The much-anticipated March Madness has finally returned, and basketball fans around the country are buzzing with excitement as the bracket for the 2025 NCAA Tournament has been officially set. The highly anticipated “Selection Sunday” has revealed the teams that will be competing for the ultimate prize in college basketball, and the first round of games is scheduled to kick off on Thursday and Friday.
Despite suffering a loss in the SEC Tournament to Tennessee, Auburn has been named the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s tournament. The Tigers will lead the South Region, with Duke taking the top seed in the East Region, Houston in the Midwest Region, and Florida in the West Region.
Before diving into the matchups, the “First Four” games are set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine the final teams that will secure the No. 11 and 16 seeds in the tournament. In the South Region, San Diego State will go head-to-head with UNC for the 11th seed, while Alabama State and Saint Francis (PA) will battle it out for the 16th seed. In the East Region, American will face Mount Saint Mary’s for the 16th seed, and in the Midwest Region, Texas will take on Xavier for the 11th seed.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the first-round matchups for each region:
SOUTH REGION:
– No. 1 Auburn will face the winner of Alabama State/St. Francis (PA)
– No. 2 Michigan State will take on No. 15 Bryant
– No. 3 Iowa State will play against No. 14 Lipscomb
– No. 4 Texas A&M will go up against No. 13 Yale
– No. 5 Michigan will face No. 12 UC San Diego
– No. 6 Ole Miss will battle the winner of San Diego St./UNC
– No. 7 Marquette will meet No. 10 New Mexico
– No. 8 Louisville will face off against No. 9 Creighton
EAST REGION:
– No. 1 Duke will play the winner of American/Mount St. Mary’s
– No. 2 Alabama will take on No. 15 Robert Morris
– No. 3 Wisconsin will face No. 14 Montana
– No. 4 Arizona will battle No. 13 Akron
– No. 5 Oregon will play against No. 12 Liberty
– No. 6 BYU will meet No. 11 VCU
– No. 7 Saint Mary’s will take on No. 10 Vanderbilt
– No. 8 Mississippi State will face No. 9 Baylor
MIDWEST REGION:
– No. 1 Houston will play against No. 16 SIU Edwardsville
– No. 2 Tennessee will face No. 15 Wofford
– No. 3 Kentucky will take on No. 14 Troy
– No. 4 Purdue will battle No. 13 High Point
– No. 5 Clemson will meet No. 12 McNeese
– No. 6 Illinois will face the winner of Texas/Xavier
– No. 7 UCLA will play against No. 10 Utah St
– No. 8 Gonzaga will take on No. 9 Georgia
WEST REGION:
– No. 1 Florida will play against No. 16 Norfolk St
– No. 2 St John’s will face No. 15 Omaha
– No. 3 Texas Tech will battle No. 14 UNCW
– No. 4 Maryland will take on No. 13 Grand Canyon
– No. 5 Memphis will meet No. 12 Colorado St
– No. 6 Missouri will face No. 11 Drake
– No. 7 Kansas will play against No. 10 Arkansas
– No. 8 UConn will take on No. 9 Oklahoma
Unfortunately, some bubble teams did not make the final cut and will miss out on the tournament. Teams like Boise State, West Virginia, and UC Irvine came up short in their quest for a spot in the bracket, with various factors contributing to their exclusion.
As the stage is set for an epic battle on the hardwood, basketball fans can look forward to thrilling matchups, buzzer-beaters, and Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Stay tuned for all the action as the madness unfolds on the court.
