"We update the projected 2026 NCAA tournament field every Tuesday and Friday in Bracketology, but for a comprehensive look across the sport, I've sorted every high-major team into tiers within their respective conferences. From Final Four contenders to expected misses and everything in-between, let's run through the top five leagues in order of their total projected bids in my latest field."
"The Big Ten couldn't be in a better place as we hit the stretch of the regular season. The "conference of quantity" has added a large measure of high quality, giving it the best chance in a long time to end a 25-year national title drought. The top of the seed list is dotted with Big Ten names. Five teams on the top three lines, led by Michigan, bring plenty of Final Four potential."
"The best story out of the Big Ten is Nebraska, notably the only high-major conference school to never win an NCAA tournament game. And the best team is Michigan, although Illinois may have something to say about that when the Wolverines visit Champaign at the end of February. For now, enjoy the nightly slugfests in a league rightly dissed for its March disappearing acts. This season is shaping up a whole lot better than that."
Projected 2026 NCAA tournament field updates occur every Tuesday and Friday, and every high-major team is sorted into tiers within its conference. The top five leagues are ranked by total projected bids. The Big Ten currently projects 11 bids and features improved quality, multiple teams with Final Four potential, and top-seed depth led by Michigan. Several Big Ten teams occupy the top three seed lines while up to a half-dozen more sit in the bracket's middle, with one or two possibly needing a First Four route. Nebraska remains the only high-major school yet to win an NCAA tournament game.
Read at ESPN.com
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