Men’s Bracketology: 2025 NCAA TournamentBy Joe Lunardi Updated: 02/04/2025 at 10:30 a.m. ET
Here at Bracketology HQ, we track every result every night, ranking and reranking what will eventually comprise the NCAA tournament’s field of 68. With major conference play underway, our projections will update twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday.
Bracket WatchThe term “mid-major” is thrown around these days in ways never originally intended. Today, programs outside the Power 4 (plus Big East) get the label, no matter how many private jets they have or football tickets they sell. Memphis? San Diego State? Dayton? Gonzaga?? Nothing “mid” about them. These and other AAC, Atlantic 10 and Mountain West-level programs will rebel once they start sharing revenue with student-athletes (like the other heavy hitters). You want to call the power conferences “high major” and the next tier simply “major?” That works. Calling them “mid” isn’t just inaccurate, it’s a disservice to the programs that truly are. Indeed, the truest — and best — mid-major in the country is Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have been best-in-class for some time: Three straight 5-seeds, three wins in the past two seasons over Gonzaga, a half-dozen NCAA bids over eight years. Those would be elite results at all but two or three dozen schools. If you watched the Gaels score the first 26 points of the second half at Santa Clara last week, you might even circle Saint Mary’s on your bracket an extra time or two. Randy Bennett hasn’t reached the second weekend since 2010, but this year’s team is good enough. No one checks your label in the NCAA tournament.
On the Bubble68-Team BracketSOUTH (ATLANTA)LexingtonSeattleProvidenceWichitaWEST (SAN FRANCISCO)RaleighDenverWichitaMilwaukeeMIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)LexingtonSeattleClevelandMilwaukeeEAST (NEWARK)RaleighProvidenceDenverClevelandConference BreakdownPhoto illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
