Multiple Authors
By the time Selection Sunday arrives, there will have been plenty of movement in the projected field of 68 for the 2026 NCAA tournament, regarding the teams that are in, as well as those looking to get in.
While our Tuesday and Friday Bracketology updates allow us to look at the race to March Madness holistically twice a week, results every day matter and can affect teams — whether they’re playing or not.
Men’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi is tracking every relevant game every day — and why shouldn’t you?
Here, we provide an inside look at the headlines and upcoming matchups that inform Joey Brackets’ calculations on any given day, as he projects the teams that could have their names called on Selection Sunday (March 15).
A couple of housekeeping things: This page will update every day between Monday and Saturday, with some exceptions. Games are listed in order of importance to bracket movement. A team’s projection on that day is listed in parentheses if not otherwise noted.
Scores available here. All times Eastern
Projected field of 68 |
NCAA tournament details |
Bubble Watch |
Champ Week schedule
Sunday, March 1
HEADLINES
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The No. 1 race isn’t really a race anymore: Duke erased any hope of Michigan returning to No. 1 overall by throttling Virginia on Saturday.
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How some teams’ results benefited others on the top lines: Houston’s dominant win over Colorado on Saturday, coupled with Illinois’s Friday loss to Michigan, means the Cougars replace the Illini on the 2-line. And, Gonzaga’s loss to Saint Mary’s moved Michigan State up a seed line.
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The 1-seeds: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, UConn. They stay as-is
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The new 2-seeds: Florida, Iowa State, Houston, Purdue.
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The new 3-seeds: Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan State.
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The new 4-seeds: Gonzaga, Texas Tech, Alabama, Virginia.
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The final at-large spot: The most impactful bubble result of Saturday came out of the Mountain West, with New Mexico knocking off San Diego State to grab the final at-large spot.
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Elsewhere around the bubble: In addition to wins and losses around the league, UCLA drops into “First Four Byes.” TCU graduates from “Last Four In” to “Last Four Byes.” VCU moves up to “First Four Out” at the expense of USC.
