NCAA tournament conference breakdown: Big Ten is flourishing, while SEC underwhelms
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images This is how college basketball’s biggest conferences performed in the first weekend of March Madness. Conference breakdowns are a big part of the NCAA Tournament. Seeding, strength of schedule and the number of bids each conference receives is a talking point during the tournament. The SEC getting 14 out of its 16 teams into the field shattered the Big East’s previous record of 11 bids. But the Big Ten going undefeated in the first round and the Big 12 going 6-1 are huge storylines after the first round of the tournament. Can the SEC pull away with six top-four seeds? Or will other leagues continue to keep pace with the Round of 32 starting. SEC After going a dreadful opening round (3-5) in 2024, the SEC improved slightly with an 8-6 record in 2025. Although the top seeds mostly advanced outside of Missouri’s loss to Drake, the bottom six seeds in the SEC went 1-5 in the first round. For a league often called the deepest ever during the regular season (with the record tournament bids to match), that’s not a great showing in the second tier. Final Four runs by the SEC’s six top-four seeds will dictate the postseason success of the league. But it was still troublesome to see so many losses. 2025: 14 bids, 8-6 record 2024: eight bids, 8-8 record 2023: eight bids, 9-8 record RESULTS No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 16 Alabama State 83-63 No. 1 Florida defeated No. 16 Norfolk State 95-69 No. 2 Alabama defeated No. 15 Robert Morris 90-81 No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 15 Wofford 77-62 No. 3 Kentucky defeated No. 14 Troy 76-57 No. 4 Texas A&M defeated No. 14 Yale 80-71 No. 6 Ole Miss defeated No. 11 North Carolina 71-64 No. 6 Missouri lost to No. 11 Drake 67-57 No. 8 Mississippi State lost to No. 9 Baylor 75-72 No. 9 Oklahoma lost to No. 8 UConn 67-59 No. 9 Georgia lost to No. 8 Gonzaga 89-68 No. 10 Vanderbilt lost to No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s 59-56 No. 10 Arkansas defeated No. 7 Kansas 79-72 No. 11 Texas lost to No. 11 Xavier 86-80 in First Four Big Ten Massive start for the Big Ten with all eight teams winning in the first round. Eight wins already surpasses six wins from two years ago and positions the league to have more than 10 wins from last season. It also matches the first round win total with the SEC — with the Big Ten having six fewer bids. The addition of Oregon and UCLA earned the Big Ten two additional wins with opportunities to advance to the second weekend. Big Ten teams had the better seed in all eight matchups in the first round. Can the league sustain this start with the opposition getting stronger in the second round? 2025: eight bids, 8-0 record 2024: six bids, 10-6 record 2023: eight bids, 6-8 record RESULTS No. 2 Michigan State defeated No. 15 Bryant 87-62 No. 3 Wisconsin defeated No. 14 Montana 85-66 No. 4 Purdue defeated No. 13 High Point 75-63 No. 4 Maryland defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon 81-49 No. 5 Michigan defeated No. 12 UC San Diego 68-65 No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 12 Liberty No. 6 Illinois defeated No. 11 Xavier 86-73 No. 7 UCLA defeated No. 10 Utah State 72-47 Big 12 The new-look Big 12 saw Kansas lose and the rest of the conference advance to the Round of 32. With a very solid 6-1 mark, the Big 12 is off to a great start in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. With four stronger seeds in second round matchups, the Big 12 has a chance to make some noise after only Houston and Iowa State made the Sweet Sixteen last season. The Big 12 could use a few teams advancing to the second weekend after being shut out of the Elite Eight in 2024. 2025: seven bids, 6-1 record 2024: eight bids, 7-8 record 2023: seven bids, 9-7 record RESULTS No. 1 Houston defeated No. 16 SIUE 78-40 No. 3 Texas Tech defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington 82-72 No. 3 Iowa State defeated No. 14 Lipscomb 82-55 No. 4 Arizona defeated No. 13 Akron 93-65 No. 6 BYU defeated No. 11 VCU 80-71 No. 7 Kansas lost to No. 10 Arkansas 79-72 No. 9 Baylor defeated No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72 Big East The last two years in the Big East will be difficult to match thanks to UConn’s back-to-back title runs. The league also put all three teams in the Sweet 16 a year ago with a 6-0 opening weekend. A 4-2 first round is solid. St. John’s is the only stronger seed in the second round, however as the Big East lacks a lot of true title threats. UConn’s NCAA Tournament win streak reached 13 with its win over Oklahoma as the defending champions are still a dangerous No. 8 seed. 2025: five bids, 4-2 record 2024: three bids, 10-2 record 2023: five bids, 12-4 record RESULTS No. 2 St. John’s defeated No. 15 Omaha 83-53 No. 7 Marquette lost to No. 10 New Mexico 75-66 No. 8 UConn defeated No. 9 Oklahoma 67-59 No. 9 Creighton defeated No. 8 Louisville 89-75 No. 11 Xavier defeated No. 11 Texas 86-80 in First Four, lost to No. 6 Illinois 86-73 ACC During the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the ACC had four Sweet Sixteen teams, three Elite Eight teams and a shocking 11-seed Final Four run from N.C. State. Fast forward one year
This is how college basketball’s biggest conferences performed in the first weekend of March Madness.
Conference breakdowns are a big part of the NCAA Tournament. Seeding, strength of schedule and the number of bids each conference receives is a talking point during the tournament.
The SEC getting 14 out of its 16 teams into the field shattered the Big East’s previous record of 11 bids. But the Big Ten going undefeated in the first round and the Big 12 going 6-1 are huge storylines after the first round of the tournament.
Can the SEC pull away with six top-four seeds? Or will other leagues continue to keep pace with the Round of 32 starting.
SEC
After going a dreadful opening round (3-5) in 2024, the SEC improved slightly with an 8-6 record in 2025.
Although the top seeds mostly advanced outside of Missouri’s loss to Drake, the bottom six seeds in the SEC went 1-5 in the first round. For a league often called the deepest ever during the regular season (with the record tournament bids to match), that’s not a great showing in the second tier.
Final Four runs by the SEC’s six top-four seeds will dictate the postseason success of the league. But it was still troublesome to see so many losses.
2025: 14 bids, 8-6 record
2024: eight bids, 8-8 record
2023: eight bids, 9-8 record
RESULTS
No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 16 Alabama State 83-63
No. 1 Florida defeated No. 16 Norfolk State 95-69
No. 2 Alabama defeated No. 15 Robert Morris 90-81
No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 15 Wofford 77-62
No. 3 Kentucky defeated No. 14 Troy 76-57
No. 4 Texas A&M defeated No. 14 Yale 80-71
No. 6 Ole Miss defeated No. 11 North Carolina 71-64
No. 6 Missouri lost to No. 11 Drake 67-57
No. 8 Mississippi State lost to No. 9 Baylor 75-72
No. 9 Oklahoma lost to No. 8 UConn 67-59
No. 9 Georgia lost to No. 8 Gonzaga 89-68
No. 10 Vanderbilt lost to No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s 59-56
No. 10 Arkansas defeated No. 7 Kansas 79-72
No. 11 Texas lost to No. 11 Xavier 86-80 in First Four
Big Ten
Massive start for the Big Ten with all eight teams winning in the first round. Eight wins already surpasses six wins from two years ago and positions the league to have more than 10 wins from last season. It also matches the first round win total with the SEC — with the Big Ten having six fewer bids.
The addition of Oregon and UCLA earned the Big Ten two additional wins with opportunities to advance to the second weekend.
Big Ten teams had the better seed in all eight matchups in the first round. Can the league sustain this start with the opposition getting stronger in the second round?
2025: eight bids, 8-0 record
2024: six bids, 10-6 record
2023: eight bids, 6-8 record
RESULTS
No. 2 Michigan State defeated No. 15 Bryant 87-62
No. 3 Wisconsin defeated No. 14 Montana 85-66
No. 4 Purdue defeated No. 13 High Point 75-63
No. 4 Maryland defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon 81-49
No. 5 Michigan defeated No. 12 UC San Diego 68-65
No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 12 Liberty
No. 6 Illinois defeated No. 11 Xavier 86-73
No. 7 UCLA defeated No. 10 Utah State 72-47
Big 12
The new-look Big 12 saw Kansas lose and the rest of the conference advance to the Round of 32. With a very solid 6-1 mark, the Big 12 is off to a great start in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
With four stronger seeds in second round matchups, the Big 12 has a chance to make some noise after only Houston and Iowa State made the Sweet Sixteen last season.
The Big 12 could use a few teams advancing to the second weekend after being shut out of the Elite Eight in 2024.
2025: seven bids, 6-1 record
2024: eight bids, 7-8 record
2023: seven bids, 9-7 record
RESULTS
No. 1 Houston defeated No. 16 SIUE 78-40
No. 3 Texas Tech defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington 82-72
No. 3 Iowa State defeated No. 14 Lipscomb 82-55
No. 4 Arizona defeated No. 13 Akron 93-65
No. 6 BYU defeated No. 11 VCU 80-71
No. 7 Kansas lost to No. 10 Arkansas 79-72
No. 9 Baylor defeated No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72
Big East
The last two years in the Big East will be difficult to match thanks to UConn’s back-to-back title runs. The league also put all three teams in the Sweet 16 a year ago with a 6-0 opening weekend.
A 4-2 first round is solid. St. John’s is the only stronger seed in the second round, however as the Big East lacks a lot of true title threats.
UConn’s NCAA Tournament win streak reached 13 with its win over Oklahoma as the defending champions are still a dangerous No. 8 seed.
2025: five bids, 4-2 record
2024: three bids, 10-2 record
2023: five bids, 12-4 record
RESULTS
No. 2 St. John’s defeated No. 15 Omaha 83-53
No. 7 Marquette lost to No. 10 New Mexico 75-66
No. 8 UConn defeated No. 9 Oklahoma 67-59
No. 9 Creighton defeated No. 8 Louisville 89-75
No. 11 Xavier defeated No. 11 Texas 86-80 in First Four, lost to No. 6 Illinois 86-73
ACC
During the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the ACC had four Sweet Sixteen teams, three Elite Eight teams and a shocking 11-seed Final Four run from N.C. State. Fast forward one year later and the ACC is only left with Duke in the Round of 32 after three first-round exits from the rest of the league.
After going a ridiculous 8-1 during the opening weekend of the 2024 tournament, the ACC saw Clemson and Louisville lose to weaker seeds while North Carolina ended its disappointing season with a first-round loss to Ole Miss.
Technically, the ACC owns two wins by virtue of the Tar Heels beating San Diego State in the First Four. But now it’s up to Duke to salvage the ACC’s miserable postseason by making a deep run and perhaps winning the title.
2025: four bids, 2-3 record
2024: five bids, 12-5 record
2023: five bids, 7-5 record
RESULTS
No. 1 Duke defeated No. 16 Mt. St. Mary’s 93-49
No. 5 Clemson lost to No. 12 McNeese 69-67
No. 8 Louisville lost to No. 9 Creighton 89-75
No. 11 North Carolina defeated No. 11 San Diego State 95-68 in First Four, lost to No. 6 Ole Miss 71-64
Mountain West
The Mountain West rebounded on Friday after a sluggish start. Double-digit seeds New Mexico and Colorado State winning was a nice bounce-back from San Diego State and Utah State both suffering blowout losses.
San Diego State made at least the second weekend the last two years. So if either New Mexico or Colorado State wins again it will extend the Mountain West’s Sweet Sixteen streak.
2025: four bids, 2-2 record
2024: six bids, 4-6 record
2023: four bids, 5-4 record
RESULTS
No. 10 Utah State lost to No. 7 UCLA 72-47
No. 10 New Mexico defeated No. 7 Marquette 75-66
No. 11 San Diego State lost to No. 11 North Carolina 95-68 in First Four
No. 12 Colorado State defeated No. 5 Memphis 78-70
WCC
The WCC made a positive impact in the first round with a 2-0 record — with both wins coming against the juggernaut SEC.
For the 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga advanced to the Round of 32 following its blowout win over Georgia. A dangerous No. 8 seed, the Bulldogs face No. 1 seed Houston in the second round. Gonzaga’s streak of nine consecutive trips to the Sweet Sixteen is at risk as an underdog against the Cougars.
Saint’s Mary’s reached the Round of 32 for the third time in four years with its comeback win over Vanderbilt. Although the Gaels have been effective winning first-round matchups, Saint Mary’s hasn’t reached the Sweet Sixteen since 2010 with a three-game Round of 32 losing streak.
The Gaels get another shot at an SEC team when they battle No. 2 seed Alabama in the second round.
2025: two bids, 2-0 record
2024: two bids, 2-2 record
2023: two bids, 4-2 record
RESULTS
No. 7 Saint Mary’s defeated No. 10 Vanderbilt 59-56
No. 8 Gonzaga defeated No. 9 Georgia 89-68
