College basketball expert unveils way-too-early projection for 76-team bracket
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With the NCAA Tournament set to expand to 76 teams in 2027, bracketologists will be facing a new world next March.
With 76 teams now included, there will be 4 additional play-in games set to be played on Tuesday or Wednesday after Selection Sunday next spring. Play-in games now include the 12 lowest-ranked automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest-ranked at-large teams.
Instead of just 4 play-in games before the 64-team bracket is set on Thursday, there will now be 12 play-in round games split between Tuesday and Wednesday.
With the new bracket structure finalized, college basketball expert Andy Katz released a way-too-early bracket projection for the 2026-27 NCAA Tournament:
Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee are the SEC teams who made it into Katz’s projection.
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Of that group, only Oklahoma was projected to end up in a play-in game. Katz’s projection has the Sooners facing off against Arizona State as No. 11 seeds.
Florida was given a No. 1 seed thanks to its strong core of returning talent led by Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh. The Gators will be hoping to make it back to the Final Four next season after an early exit from the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Traditionally, play-in games have been contested in Dayton, Ohio. A second location is expected to be chose for hosting play-in round games in 2027 and beyond, although specifics are still to-be-announced.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
