On Selection Sunday 2025, the SEC made history by earning a record-setting 14 bids to the NCAA Tournament, the most ever by a single conference. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by the Big East in 2011, when 11 teams made the field. More than just a statistical milestone, this moment signals a major power shift in college basketball.
Conferences With the Most March Madness Bids
March Madness showcases the competitive gap between conferences, with some leagues consistently dominating the field. From 2005 to 2025, 32 different conferences have been represented in the NCAA Tournament (31 in 2025), all vying for a spot in the 68-team bracket. Each conference champion secures an automatic bid, while the remaining 37 at-large selections are awarded to the top teams nationwide.
However, conference representation in March Madness varies significantly. Of the 32 conferences that have participated in the tournament between 2005 and 2025, 13 have never received more than one bid per year. These include the Atlantic Sun, America East, Big Sky, Big South, Ivy League, MAC, MEAC, Northeast, Patriot, SWAC, Southern, Southland, and Summit conferences.
On the other end of the spectrum, six conferences have never received fewer than two bids in a single year. These are the current and former high-major conferences: the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12. Over the past 20 tournaments (excluding 2020, when the event was canceled due to COVID-19), the Big Ten has led the way with a median of seven bids per year. The Big East and Big 12 follow with a median of six, while the ACC averages 5.5, the SEC 5, and the Pac-12 4.
The graph above highlights the stark contrast in March Madness bid distributions between Power conferences and non-Power conferences. Power conferences consistently secure significantly more tournament spots per year. Outside of these leagues, only a few conferences—the American Athletic (AAC), Atlantic 10, Mountain West, and West Coast Conferences—regularly receive multiple bids, thanks to their ability to produce at-large selections. As conference realignment continues to reshape the landscape of college basketball, the divide between Power and non-Power conferences could grow even wider.
Power Conferences Increasingly Dominate At-Large Bids
Since 2015, Power conference teams have consistently earned more NCAA Tournament bids than their mid-major (non-Power) counterparts. Not only has this trend continued, but the gap has steadily widened over time. The time-series plot below tracks March Madness bids for both Power and non-Power conferences since 2005. A locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) curve illustrates this growing disparity. While annual variations occur, the overall trend indicates an accelerating divide in recent years.
Three key factors contribute to this growing trend.
The first is the introduction of NET rankings. Implemented in 2018 to replace the RPI, the NET system was designed to be more objective and resistant to manipulation. However, it has inadvertently favored Power conferences due to the Selection Committee’s emphasis on Quad I wins. Power conference teams naturally have more Quad I opportunities because of their stronger schedules, leading to non-Power teams with impressive records being ranked lower than Power teams with mediocre ones.
The second factor is NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). In 2019, California’s legislation paved the way for college athletes to earn endorsement money, accelerating the rise of NIL collectives. Power conference programs have built massive NIL funds to attract elite recruits and transfers, giving them a significant talent advantage over most non-Power programs.
The third—and perhaps most significant—factor is conference realignment. Power conferences have absorbed historically strong basketball programs from non-Power leagues, consolidating talent. In 2013, Xavier, Butler, and Creighton moved from the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley to the Big East. A decade later, Houston, Cincinnati, UCF, and BYU left the AAC and WCC for the Big 12. This shift ensures that these successful programs now receive Power conference bids rather than boosting the non-Power conference pool.
If these trends persist, non-Power conference teams will find it increasingly difficult to secure at-large bids. As a result, “Cinderella story” teams could become even more uncommon, further solidifying the Power conferences’ dominance in the tournament.
Changing Of The Guard Among Power Conferences
College basketball is undergoing a significant shift as the balance of power among conferences continues to evolve. Once-dominant leagues have lost influence, while others have risen to prominence. These trends become clear when examining the share of NCAA Tournament bids earned by Power conferences over time.
The heatmap below illustrates the percentage of Power conference bids secured by the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, and ACC in recent years. This visualization highlights the shifting conference landscape, revealing the impact of realignment, selection trends, and on-court performance.
The Rise and Fall of Big East Dominance
Before 2013, the Big East was the dominant conference in college basketball, regularly sending the most teams to the NCAA Tournament. Its peak came in 2011 when it set a record by securing 11 tournament bids—the most of any conference at the time. However, the landscape changed in 2013 when the Big East underwent a major restructuring. Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Louisville moved to the ACC (along with Notre Dame for non-football sports), Rutgers joined the Big Ten, and West Virginia departed for the Big 12.
Although the basketball-focused Big East remains competitive, its overall tournament representation has declined. From 2005 to 2013, the conference averaged 7.9 bids per year, but since 2014, that number has dropped to just 5 per year. This decline has also had financial consequences, as conferences earn roughly $2 million per team in the tournament. For the Big East, the decrease in bids translates to nearly $6 million in lost revenue annually.
The ACC Fills the Void
Following the decline of the Big East, the ACC rose to prominence as the leading conference, reaching its zenith in 2017 and 2018 when nine teams were selected for the tournament each year. However, the ACC’s influence has diminished considerably in recent years. The post-COVID-19 period has been especially challenging, with a decrease in the number of teams chosen each season. In the 2025 tournament, only four ACC teams made the cut—marking the lowest figure since 2013 and the smallest proportion of bids from Power conferences since 2011. In fact, many bracket analysts speculated that the ACC might secure only three bids this year, but North Carolina narrowly managed to avoid exclusion, controversially earning a spot as one of the Last Four In.
The Big Ten Ascends
The Big Ten emerged as the next powerhouse conference, leading all leagues in NCAA Tournament bids from 2019 to 2022. Over the past decade, the conference has been on a steady upward trajectory. From 2005 to 2014, the Big Ten never sent more than 7 teams to March Madness, but since 2015, it has only had two seasons with fewer than 7 bids.
Since 2019, the Big Ten has consistently ranked among the top two conferences in tournament representation. However, despite its dominance in the regular season, the conference has struggled to translate that success into national championships, with its last title coming from Michigan State in 2000.
The SEC’s Historic Surge
No conference has ascended more rapidly than the SEC, reaching a historic milestone in 2025 with a record-breaking 14 NCAA Tournament bids—the most ever for a single conference. The SEC’s rise wasn’t instantaneous but has been steadily building since 2018, when it surpassed 20% of Power conference bids for the first time by sending 8 teams to March Madness.
Before 2018, the SEC averaged just 4.4 bids per year, but that figure has nearly doubled to 8.1 per year since then. In addition to setting a new record for tournament bids, the SEC also secured two No. 1 seeds—including top overall seed Auburn—as well as two No. 2 seeds. With substantial financial investments, high-profile coaching hires, and a flourishing NIL landscape, the SEC is positioning itself as a dominant force in college basketball’s future.
The Stability of the Big 12 and the Pac-12’s Struggles
Unlike other conferences that have experienced significant shifts, the Big 12 has remained remarkably consistent. Since 2014, the conference has secured between 6 and 8 NCAA Tournament bids each year—never leading the field but consistently ranking among the top leagues in representation.
Meanwhile, the Pac-12 struggled to keep up. Between 2017 and 2024, the conference averaged just 3.7 NCAA Tournament bids per year—the lowest of any Power conference. The league was further weakened by realignment in 2024, as UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington departed for the Big Ten, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah moved to the Big 12. With only Oregon State and Washington State remaining, both competed in the West Coast Conference this season, leaving the future of the once-storied Pac-12 uncertain.
The Impact of Power Shifts on March Madness
The landscape of March Madness has changed significantly as Power conferences have tightened their hold on at-large bids. The decline of the Big East, the ACC’s struggles, and the rise of the Big Ten and SEC underscore the impact of NET rankings, NIL, and conference realignment. While Cinderella teams like Saint Peter’s and FAU have shown that underdogs can still make deep runs, their path to the tournament may become even more difficult in the years ahead.
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