SelectionU

NCAA Selection U - March Madness 2012

Selection 101

What goes into selecting and seeding the 68-team NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament field? Find out here.

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NCAA.com is pulling back the curtain on the selection process for the Division I men’s basketball tournament and giving fans a look inside how it all works.

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Directors of athletics and commissioners are not present in the room during discussions regarding the teams they represent.
Teams seeded 65 through 68 will play in Dayton, Ohio, as part of the First Four.
The RPI is used, but it is just one of many factors that go into the process. A high ranking doesn’t guarantee a bid, just as a low ranking doesn’t preclude a team from getting one.
Teams seeded 1-5 have the best opportunity to be assigned to a nearby second round or third round site.
More than 5,000 regular season games are played every year.
Teams from the same conference cannot meet until a regional final unless nine or more teams from one league make this tournament.
This phrase sums the committee’s job up best: “Who You Play? Where You Play! When You Play! And How You Play!”
Past years, whether it was one year before or an entire tradition of winning, does not impact the current year’s value as an at-large candidate.
The committee does have the freedom to move a team one seed line up or down to assist in complying with our overall bracketing principles.
Until 3 or 4 p.m. Selection Sunday, the bracket sits empty. The committee doesn't care about match ups, coach mentor vs. protégé, etc.
A late season/conference tournament injury to a key contributor to a team could impact a team's seed, even if it doesn't affect its selection.
The committee will try to avoid a regular season rematch, particularly in the early rounds of the tournament.
Any team that plays more than three regular season games in an arena cannot play in that arena during the tournament.
There are good losses. Competitive games against quality teams are considered good losses. While there’s no significance to a close win. A win is a win.
There is no limit to the number of teams from a conference that can be selected for participation in the championship.
Committee members are assigned to conferences for the purpose of monitoring a portion of Division I teams throughout the season.