The array of emotions that Selection Sunday brings for college basketball fans are unlike any other we navigate during the regular season. For many, there is the pure feeling of elation, knowing your team is in the Field of 68 and that the season continues. For others, it is heartbreak and disappointment because your bubble has burst and your name did not appear on one of the final seed lines. March Madness is here and now we map out what the next three weeks will bring us. We must be prepared for long travel days, fantastic plays, season-ending buzzer-beaters, passionate fans and dreams of your team taking home the 2026 NCAA Tournament hardware.
The road to the Final Four is not for the faint of heart – it is filled with open roads, potholes, heavy traffic and detours that will test your patience and strength. The GPS has set a course to Phoenix but to get there, you need a clear view of what lies ahead. Some teams will put their foot on the gas and cruise on the interstate while others are stuck at a red light because their first-round opponent stops them with lockdown defense at the intersection. Injuries will have coaches weaving around construction cones with new game plans and regional placements can throw a massive detour in the best-laid travel itinerary. Airports become hubs for happy fan bases and dejected alumni, all looking to catch their connection to either keep the trip alive or go home to drown their sorrows.
We can prepare for every possible travel situation, but there will be things that happen in the next three weeks that no one was expecting. That is why this is our favorite time of the year. The madness is upon us, and we can only hope that our navigation system does not go offline. All season here at The Weekly Fast Break, we have been inspired by the words of tennis legend Billie Jean King when she said, “pressure is a privilege – it only comes to those that earn it.” Punching your ticket to the Big Dance is part one of this trip in March. Next, we see who can best manage all the pressures of this fantastic journey. That team will be the 2026 National Champion.
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BRACKET BUSTING
Every year, the bracket provides us with so many outstanding storylines that we never seem to be able to hit the off-ramp. There are winning streaks on the line, tickets punched by coaches who have rebuilt programs and teams making a return to the Big Dance after many years on the side of the road. The 2026 version of March Madness is going to be nothing if not entertaining – and there is no doubt we will be introduced to some new stars along the way.
Early bird special: After two earlier sneak peeks of the top 16 seeds in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Division I Women’s Basketball Selection Committee revealed that list one day before Selection Sunday. While we understand that some want the information ahead of time for planning purposes, it does take away some of the magic of the bracket reveal. The only thing we learned the day before was who the 16 teams were in alphabetical order – the actual seeds and regional assignments were not shared.
If you can convince us that 24 hours makes all the difference in planning for NCAA Tournament games, then so be it, but remember, there are teams and locations planning in less time, starting on Sunday. And for the previous 20-plus years, we have done just fine with logistical arrangements when finding out the teams all at once on what used to be Selection Monday. Our advice? Just wait to reveal everything on Selection Sunday – the joy of the tournament is seeing your name announced, not giving athletic departments an extra 24 hours to sell tickets and secure hotel rooms.
The seeds align: It was hard to argue with the selection committee and their decisions for the top seeds in this year’s field. As it was last year, there are four regionals, but two locations – Fort Worth and Sacramento. Therefore, the regions are assigned as such. The overall No. 1 seed in the tournament is UConn in Fort Worth 1. UCLA is No. 1 in Sacramento 2, Texas is tops in Fort Worth 3, and South Carolina is the No. 1 seed in Sacramento 4. The Longhorns moved into that third No. 1 spot after their SEC Tournament title victory and could play four games in their home state on the way to a second-straight Final Four appearance. The No. 2 seeds in the tournament are Vanderbilt (Fort Worth 1), LSU (Sacramento 2), Michigan (Fort Worth 3) and Iowa (Sacramento 4).
Surprises & storylines: Every NCAA Tournament bracket comes with great storylines that let us shine our spotlights on teams, players and coaches that do not always get the national attention they deserve. Two teams played themselves into the top 16 late to secure four seeds, meaning they get to host first and second round games on their home court.
Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit has Minnesota back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. The Gophers will take on No. 13 seed Green Bay in the first round, who is coached by Kayla Karius, a former assistant of Plitzuweit’s at South Dakota. West Virginia is in as the No. 4 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Regional after claiming the 2026 Big 12 Tournament title. This is the third straight NCAA appearance for the Mountaineers under head coach Mark Kellogg and just the second time in program history that West Virginia has hosted tournament games.
Three years seems to be the magic number for Big 12 coaching success as TCU’s Mark Campbell continues one of the biggest turnarounds in his third season as well. The Horned Frogs secured a No. 3 seed for the second straight year after winning back-to-back regular-season Big 12 crowns. While TCU will play its first and second-round games at home, it was not placed in one of the two Fort Worth regionals, coming as a big surprise to many. They will open at home with No. 14 seed UC San Diego out of the Big West Conference on March 20.
Sustaining success at the mid-major level in this landscape of college basketball is difficult. We see players have monster seasons and then jump into the transfer portal to take their talents to the power conferences. Rosters get depleted and what seemed like it could be a great season ahead becomes a rebuild and a steep climb uphill. We tip our hats to coaches who have built programs where players want to stay, thrive and win. Rosters are kept together, the wins add up and get you into the Big Dance.
There is Murray State, in as a No. 12 seed, after back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference tournament titles. How about the Fairfield Stags, who have won three-straight MAAC tournament titles, securing a No. 11 seed, which is their highest in program history. Gonzaga is back in the Field of 68 for the 16th time in program history after winning their 11th West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament title. This was the fifth and final WCC tourney crown for the Zags under head coach Lisa Fortier, as Gonzaga will be joining the new Pac-12 Conference in July. Western Illinois lost its best player 10 games into the season to injury but surged forward, winning 26 games and claiming the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) automatic bid with a tournament title. There are dozens more stories we do not all know yet, but we will because that is the magic of March Madness.
(Photo credit: Fairfield Athletics & WBB)
Pile in for the trip: When schools make it back to the NCAA Tournament, appear for the first time or achieve milestones, it is an exciting experience for everyone involved. It is all hands-on deck in the athletic department to arrange travel for pep bands, cheer squads, mascots, and fans alike, but it is worth the late coffee runs and lack of sleep to get it done. We hope that every school and its entourage enjoy the 2026 NCAA Tournament, especially those that were long shots to keep their dance card full this week.
No. 14 seed Charleston, 27-5, in the Sacramento 2 Regional: The Cougars are making their first-ever appearance in the tournament after securing the final automatic bid into the NCAA field. Charleston won the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) regular season title (also for the first time in program history) and the tournament title, defeating Hofstra in the finals. They will face No. 3 seed Duke in the first round on March 20.
No. 11 seed Rhode Island, 28-4, in the Fort Worth 3 Regional: It may have felt way more than seven years for head coach Tammi Reiss to build the Rams program into an NCAA Tournament team, but she has done it. Rhode Island is in the Big Dance for the first time in 30 years after claiming the Atlantic-10 regular season and tournament titles. They will battle with No. 6 seed Alabama in Louisville, Ky. on March 21 in the first round.
No. 15 seed Jacksonville, 24-8, in the Sacramento 2 Regional: After finishing second in the ASUN race, Jacksonville surged to win the tournament title and is dancing again for the first time since 2016. The Dolphins are headed into the Tigers’ lair as they will face No. 2 seed LSU in round one on March 20.
No. 15 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, 30-4, in the Sacramento 4 Regional: The Knights are back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and riding a 22-game winning streak. They went 18-0 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season and won the tournament title. FDU’s last loss was Dec. 29, and they are looking to keep the streak alive when they face No. 2 seed Iowa on March 21.
No. 16 seed UTSA, 18-15, in the Fort Worth 1 Regional: The Roadrunners picked up speed late in the season and turned on the jets in the American Conference tournament. They won four games in four days as the sixth seed and are back in the Big Dance for just the third time in program history, the last being in 2009. UTSA will face the defending national champions and No. 1 seed UConn Huskies in Round 1 on March 21.
No. 13 seed Miami (OH), 28-6, in the Fort Worth 3 Regional: The Redhawks completed the ever-difficult double hardware haul this season – a MAC regular season title and a tournament title. Third-year head coach Glen Box has Miami back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2008. They will play on March 21 at No. 4 seed West Virginia in the first round.
No. 13 seed Idaho, 29-5, in the Sacramento 4 Regional: The Vandals were somewhat of an afterthought when the season began in the Big Sky Conference, but it did not end up that way. Idaho won both the regular season title and the tournament title to capture its first bid since 2016. Head coach Arthur Moreira is the first Brazilian-born coach in Division I history, and he will take his Vandal squad to Norman, Okla., to take on No. 4 seed Oklahoma on March 20.
No. 7 seed Texas Tech, 25-7, in the Sacramento 2 Regional: The Lady Raiders were one of the biggest surprises of the Big 12 this season and find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. Big 12 Coach of the Year Krista Gerlich knows a thing or two about winning when representing the black and red – she was a starter on the 1993 national championship team that brought the hardware back to Lubbock, Texas. Tech will start this NCAA journey on March 20 when they take on No. 10 seed Villanova in Round 1.
No. 8 seed Clemson, 21-11, in the Sacramento 4 Regional: Head coach Shawn Poppie has gotten the Tigers back into the Big Dance in just his second season at the helm. Clemson won 11 ACC regular-season games this season, the most in over 25 years. They last found their name in the NCAA bracket in 2019 and will face USC, the No. 9 seed, in Columbia, S.C., on March 21.
No. 11 seed South Dakota State, 27-6, in the Sacramento 4 Regional: The Jackrabbits are riding a 10-game winning streak into what is their 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. While they did not win the regular-season Summit League title, SDSU did win its fourth consecutive tournament title. The Jacks’ senior class of Brooklyn Meyer, Madison Mathiowetz and Ellie Colbeck did not lose a single Summit League tournament game in four years. SDSU has won a first-round game in two of the past three years and will face No. 6 seed Washington in the first round on March 20.
PLAY IN TO PLAY ON
When the NCAA Tournament field went to 68 teams, it created the “First Four” or play-in games, with the winners then moving into the full bracket. These games are played at a first and second-round host site, unlike the men’s side, where their four play-in games are held in Dayton, Ohio. These first four women’s games that begin March 18 will give us a great snapshot of what we are in store for during this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Wednesday, March 18
(11) Richmond vs. (11) Nebraska – winner faces No. 6 seed Baylor in Durham, N.C.
This is a matchup of two teams that secured at-large bids into the Field of 68 and have ridden the rollercoaster of wins and losses all season. The Spiders enter the Big Dance at 26-7 but finished third in the Atlantic-10. Their resume was strong enough to withstand their 60-45 semifinal loss in the A-10 Tournament to George Mason. It is a veteran squad for head coach Aaron Rousell, led by 6’2 forward Maggie Doogan (21 points per game), one of the best mid-major players in the country. The Cornhuskers are 18-12 coming into the tournament, having lost seven of their last nine games. Sophomore Britt Prince has led a balanced attack for Nebraska at 17.4 points per game, but the ‘Huskers defense will need to travel if they want to stop Richmond. The Spiders are averaging just under 73 points per game.
(16) Missouri State vs. (16) Stephen F. Austin – winner faces No. 1 seed Texas in Austin, Texas
March introduces us to Cinderella stories, and Missouri State may be just that. In their first season in Conference USA, the Bears grabbed the automatic bid by upsetting the top three seeds as the sixth seed in the conference tournament to advance to the Big Dance. They are 22-12 and led by junior guard Kaemyn Bekemeier, who leads the Bears in scoring and rebounding (17.4 points and 8.2 boards per game). Stephen F. Austin comes into the NCAA Tournament having won seven of their last eight, including a revenge victory over McNeese in the Southland Conference tournament finals (71-59) to secure their second-straight NCAA bid. Balance is the name of the game for SFA, who have five players averaging double figures, including freshman guard Kaylinn Kemp (11.2 per game), who also leads the team in steals and assists.
Thursday, March 19
(16) Samford vs. (16) Southern – winner faces No. 1 seed South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
Samford is the only team in the Field of 68 with a losing record on the season. But if you win your conference tournament and secure the automatic bid, records go out the window. The Bulldogs are 16-18 and finished regular season action in the SoCon at 6-8. But when they needed to get hot, they did and ticked off three victories, including a 72-67 win over top-seeded Chattanooga in the finals to punch their ticket.
Their leading scorer is freshman Kaylee Yarbrough, who dropped 25 in the SoCon final. Samford will face the Southern Jaguars, who are in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Their road in the SWAC was much tougher this year, but two upset wins in the conference tournament punched their dance card. The Jaguars averaged just under 62 points per game on the year, but they held opponents to 59.1 per game and caused over 21 turnovers a contest.
(10) Arizona State vs. (10) Virginia – winner faces No. 7 seed Georgia in Iowa City, Iowa
This is the second pair of teams in the play-in matchups that were at-large selections into this year’s Field of 68. Year one of the Molly Miller era in Tempe was a success, as the 39-year-old head coach led the Sun Devils to 24 wins, 14 more than a season ago. ASU played its way off the tournament bubble with a solid showing at the Big 12 Tournament, making this the first trip to the Big Dance since 2019. Three players are averaging double figures, led by graduate transfer Gabby Elliott (16 points per game), and the Sun Devils will get after you on defense, allowing just over 60 points per game.
Virginia is dancing for the first time since 2018 after finishing 19-11 on the year and 11-7 in ACC action. The Cavaliers have lost three games in a row coming into the NCAA Tournament, including a 63-50 setback to Clemson in the second round of the ACC Tournament. Junior guard Kymora Johnson is the engine that makes Virginia go – she is the only player to average double figures on the season (19 per game) while also leading the Hoos in steals and ranks 14th nationally at 5.9 assists per game.
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference-provided statistics
