Do not be shocked to see some potential nonconference rematches within the second spherical of the NCAA Event bracket when the sector of 68 is revealed March 15 throughout Choice Choice Sunday on CBS.
One of many points on the NCAA’s radar for 2026 is how the proliferation of blockbuster video games in November and December might make such conferences largely unavoidable through the bracketing course of.
“I feel it is fairly potential that we are going to see extra of these nonconference repeat matchups this yr on account of the actual fact that there have been extra high-major versus high-major, ranked video games within the prime 25 this yr,” NCAA senior vp of basketball Dan Gavitt advised CBS Sports activities.
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Making an attempt to keep away from rematches
Traditionally, bracketing ideas prioritized avoiding nonconference rematches by means of the Candy 16.
Present NCAA bracketing ideas state that nonconference rematches “ought to be prevented within the First 4 and first spherical.” Avoiding potential second spherical rematches of such contests is listed as a “secondary consideration” for the committee.
That phrasing grants the committee some leeway to supply a bracket that comprises potential Spherical of 32 rematches between the litany of projected NCAA Event groups that performed one another in a historic November/December for faculty basketball.
There have been 175 common season nonconference video games performed between high-major groups to this point this season, and that tally will rise once more Saturday, when No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 Duke sq. off. In contrast, there have been 146 such video games final season. Moreover, there have been 88 nonconference video games between ranked groups this season in comparison with 62 a yr in the past.
Gavitt known as the pattern “nice for faculty basketball general” and “nice for the event committee as nicely.”
The upshot for the committee could possibly be a call matrix. Rules state the committee “won’t contemplate” shifting groups up or down a seed line to keep away from a nonconference rematch. Whereas the committee can — and sometimes does — transfer groups inside a seed line to keep away from these rematches, that is not an ideal answer.
In some instances, the one various to avoiding a nonconference rematch is to create a convention rematch.
Extra marquee video games
Right here is the rundown of what number of ranked vs. ranked nonconference common season video games there have been over latest years. The 2020-21 season was omitted as a result of affect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Season | Ranked vs. ranked nonconference video games |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 88 |
| 2024-25 | 62 |
| 2023-24 | 56 |
| 2022-23 | 66 |
| 2021-22 | 34 |
| 2019-20 | 50 |
| 2018-19 | 52 |
| 2017-18 | 44 |
| 2016-17 | 60 |
| 2015-16 | 42 |
| 2014-15 | 48 |
| 11-season common | 54.7 |
That’s an unavoidable actuality within the evolving panorama of school basketball.
Within the 2015 NCAA Event, there have been 11 multi-bid leagues and no convention acquired greater than seven bids. There have been simply 48 common season nonconference video games between ranked groups that season.
In these days, earlier than everybody was mashed collectively into one large pot of groups that largely simply performs one another, adhering to stringent rematch guidelines was simpler.
This yr, simply seven leagues are projected to get a number of bids, and 4 conferences are on tempo to put eight or extra groups within the subject in keeping with the CBS Sports activities Bracketology mannequin. Moreover, there have been a whopping 40 extra nonconference video games performed between ranked groups this season than within the 2014-15 season.
Committee reacts to realignment by enjoyable guidelines
However amid the collapse of the Pac 12 and the consolidation of the “high-major” class into simply 5 leagues, the committee leaned into the winds of change earlier than final season.
“I feel the committee did a very good job anticipating what the results of convention realignment might imply when it comes to the ideas and procedures for establishing the bracket of the event,” Gavitt stated.
In 2025, the rub was that the committee produced a remaining bracket containing three potential second-round rematches between SEC groups, which was an unavoidable byproduct of that league receiving a historic 14 NCAA Event bids.
Rules allow such rematches, as long as the groups in query met solely as soon as previous to the NCAA Event. In the event that they met twice, they cannot play earlier than the Candy 16, and in the event that they performed thrice they can’t meet till the Elite Eight.
Gavitt emphasised that the committee additionally didn’t transfer a workforce up or down final yr to keep away from potential convention rematches. Doing so would solely be a “final resort,” and doing so to keep away from a nonconference rematch is prohibited by bracketing ideas.
Backside line: seed integrity is extra vital than avoiding a second-round rematch.