2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology

By Joe Lunardi Updated: 12/17/2021 at 7:00 a.m. ET

After the most unusual NCAA tournament in history, a return to the version of March Madness fans have known and loved is back on the schedule for 2021-22. A standard selection process, a multiple-city event, and the return of fans, bands and cheerleaders are among the elements college basketball worshippers will welcome back in March. ESPN will have you covered up through Selection Sunday with the most recent men's NCAA tournament bracket projections, including the teams on the bubble and those best positioned to cut down the nets in New Orleans on April 4.

Bracket Watch

It's hard not to notice the bracket deflation occurring in the ACC. Duke is in its accustomed position near the top, but 7-seed North Carolina is the next highest ACC member. The third and fourth league entries -- Louisville and Wake Forest -- are in First Four territory, while the likes of Virginia Tech and Florida State don't appear until the "Next Four Out" group. Preseason NCAA candidates Clemson, Virginia, Notre Dame and Syracuse are even further down the board.

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

First Four

SOUTH (SAN ANTONIO)

Fort Worth

Buffalo

Indianapolis

San Diego

MIDWEST (CHICAGO)

Indianapolis

Portland

Greenville

Fort Worth

EAST (PHILADELPHIA)

Greenville

Pittsburgh

Milwaukee

Pittsburgh

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Portland

Buffalo

Milwaukee

San Diego

Conference Breakdown

Conference

Team

Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock

RULES

ESPN's Bracketology efforts are focused on projecting the NCAA tournament field just as we expect the NCAA Division I basketball committee to select the field in March. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi uses the same data points favored by the committee, including strength of schedule and other season-long indicators, including the NET and team-sheet data similar to what is available to the NCAA, in his projections of the field. Visit the NCAA's website for a fuller understanding of NCAA selection criteria.

68-Team Bracket

The 68-team bracket is the standard version of the NCAA tournament field that has been in place since 2011. If the 2021 field is comprised of 68 teams, there will be some key differences to past years, however.

The primary adjustment from a normal year is, of course, the playing of the entire NCAA tournament at a single site. This eliminates the need for geographical considerations in seeding. Additionally, there will be at least one fewer automatic qualifier this season, as the Ivy League's decision to forgo the 2020-21 season reduces the number of AQ entries to 31 for this season.

48-Team Bracket

In this projection, a condensed selection process would reduce the field by 10 at-large teams and 10 automatic qualifiers (the latter of which still receive a revenue unit). The top four seeds in each region would receive a bye into the second round, with four first-round games per region - 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9 - being played without fans on the higher seed's home court.

To minimize travel, first-round pairings will be guided by geography to the greatest extent possible. And the reduced field results in only 32 teams competing at the central site. All participants must post a minimum .500 conference record - the "Lunardi Rule" - for at-large consideration.

16-Team Bracket

In this projection, the committee selects and seeds the 16 best available teams. There are no automatic qualifiers, although all non-competing conference champions receive the designated revenue unit.

To maintain some sense of national balance, conference participation is capped at four teams. And no region shall have more than one team from the same conference.

ESPN

Bracket Watch

Top Overall Seed

First Team Out

Last Team In

On the Bubble

Last Four Byes

Last Four In

First Four Out

Next Four Out

68-Team Bracket

First Four

SOUTH (SAN ANTONIO)

Fort Worth

Buffalo

Indianapolis

San Diego

MIDWEST (CHICAGO)

Indianapolis

Portland

Greenville

Fort Worth

EAST (PHILADELPHIA)

Greenville

Pittsburgh

Milwaukee

Pittsburgh

WEST (SAN FRANCISCO)

Portland

Buffalo

Milwaukee

San Diego

Conference Breakdown

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