NCAA Tournament selection committee reveals top 16 seeds

The NCAA Tournament selection committee gave college basketball fans a first glimpse into what a March Madness bracket could look like.

The selection committee unveiled the first in-season top 16 NCAA Tournament seeds on Saturday, Feb. 21. The official NCAA Tournament bracket reveal ― aka Selection Sunday ― is scheduled for March 15.

Here’s a look at what we learned from the first NCAA selection committee in-season top 16 seeds reveal for the 2025-26 season:

NCAA Tournament selection committee’s top 16 seeds

Not surprisingly, Michigan is the No. 1 overall seed. However, a matchup with No. 2 Duke on Saturday, Feb. 21, could help change that outlook for the next reveal.

1. Michigan
2. Duke
3. Arizona
4. Iowa State
5. UConn
6. Houston
7. Illinois
8. Purdue
9. Florida
10. Kansas
11. Nebraska
12. Gonzaga
13. Texas Tech
14. Michigan State
15. Vanderbilt
16. Virginia

NCAA selection committee’s top 16 teams by seeding

• No. 1 seeds: Michigan, Duke, Iowa State, Arizona
• No. 2 seeds: UConn, Houston, Illinois, Purdue
• No. 3 seeds: Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Gonzaga
• No. 4 seeds: Texas Tech, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Virginia

NCAA Tournament top 16 seeded teams by region

• Midwest Region: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Florida; 4. Virginia
• South Region: 1. Iowa State; 2. UConn; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech
• East Region: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Kansas; 4. Vanderbilt
• West Region: 1. Arizona; 2. Purdue; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State

NCAA Tournament top 16 seeded teams by conference

After getting a record-setting 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament in 2025, no SEC programs are projected in the top eight seeds, and only two are projected in the top 16 seeds. The Big 12 and the Big Ten lead the way with five teams each.

• Big 12: 5
• Big Ten: 5
• SEC: 2
• ACC: 2
• Big East: 1
• WAC: 1