SOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston – aq16 Montana – aq8 Missouri9 USCPortland5 Kansas12 McNeese – aq4 Gonzaga – aq13 UNC Wilmington – aqBuffalo6 Auburn11 Boise St./ Washington3 Louisville14 Furman – aqBuffalo7 Creighton10 Saint Mary’s2 Michigan15 Youngstown St. – aq
MIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1aq – Purdue16aq – Norfolk St.aq – LIU/8 Baylor9 VanderbiltOklahoma City5 Alabama12aq – Yale4 Texas Tech13aq – Illinois StateSt. Louis6 Michigan State11 Virginia Villanova/3 Tennessee14aq – TroyPhiladelphia7aq – San Diego State10 Iowa2 St. John’s15aq – Siena
By Joe Lunardi Updated: 10/13/2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET All teams are practicing. Most will be playing exhibition games. And we can finally elevate our projections from quantitative only to include some qualitative factors. There will be one more preseason update in two weeks (Oct. 28), reflecting selected exhibition results, practice observations and (hopefully not many) injuries, before the real games commence Nov. 3. The weekly in-season Bracketology will begin a week into the 2025-26 campaign, on Nov. 11.
On the BubbleLast Four Byes Cincinnati Marquette Iowa Saint Mary’sLast Four In Boise State Washington Virginia VillanovaFirst Four Out Indiana Maryland Clemson SMUNext Four Out Oklahoma Georgia Texas A&M Miami
Last Four Byes Cincinnati Marquette Iowa Saint Mary’s
Last Four In Boise State Washington Virginia Villanova
11Boise St.11Washington16Vermont16Southern16Norfolk St.16LIU11Virginia11Villanova
WEST (SAN JOSE)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Vermont – aq/ Southern – aq8 Texas9 CincinnatiTampa5 Iowa State12 Liberty – aq4 Illinois13 High Point – aqPortland6 Wisconsin11 Memphis – aq3 BYU14 Utah Valley – aqGreenville7 Oregon10 Marquette2 Kentucky15 Little Rock – aq
All teams are practicing. Most will be playing exhibition games. And we can finally elevate our projections from quantitative only to include some qualitative factors. There will be one more preseason update in two weeks (Oct. 28), reflecting selected exhibition results, practice observations and (hopefully not many) injuries, before the real games commence Nov. 3. The weekly in-season Bracketology will begin a week into the 2025-26 campaign, on Nov. 11.
By Joe Lunardi Updated: 10/13/2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET All teams are practicing. Most will be playing exhibition games. And we can finally elevate our projections from quantitative only to include some qualitative factors. There will be one more preseason update in two weeks (Oct. 28), reflecting selected exhibition results, practice observations and (hopefully not many) injuries, before the real games commence Nov. 3. The weekly in-season Bracketology will begin a week into the 2025-26 campaign, on Nov. 11.
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Top Overall SeedHoustonFirst Team OutIndianaLast Team InVillanova
Last Four Byes Cincinnati Marquette Iowa Saint Mary’sLast Four In Boise State Washington Virginia VillanovaFirst Four Out Indiana Maryland Clemson SMUNext Four Out Oklahoma Georgia Texas A&M Miami
11Boise St.11Washington16Vermont16Southern16Norfolk St.16LIU11Virginia11Villanova
11Boise St.11Washington16Vermont16Southern16Norfolk St.16LIU11Virginia11Villanova
EAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Tampa1aq – Florida16aq – Navy8 NC State9 Mississippi St.San Diego5 Arkansas12aq – Akron4 Arizona13aq – UC IrvineSan Diego6 North Carolina11aq – VCU3 UCLA14aq – St. Thomas-MinnesotaPhiladelphia7 Ohio State10 Ole Miss2aq – UConn15aq – Florida Gulf Coast
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Bracket WatchTop Overall SeedHoustonFirst Team OutIndianaLast Team InVillanovaHouston was the 2025 national runner-up, but it begins this season as the No. 1 overall seed in Bracketology. More importantly, the Cougars recently received a procedural advantage that could pay very substantial dividends in March. They were originally slotted as the host institution for the 2026 South Region. By rule, that would have precluded them from playing any rounds in the South Region. Several weeks ago, however, Houston was replaced by Rice as the host, so the Cougars can now be considered for a South Region slot — allowing for possible Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in their home city. Not that Kelvin Sampson needs the advantage. But this conveniently timed switch can’t hurt Houston’s chances of reaching a third Final Four in five years to perhaps, finally, capture the school’s first NCAA title. If that were to happen, I hope Rice receives more than a case of Phi Slamma Jamma towels in return. As we all know, the little things matter in March — and April!
68-Team Bracket11Boise St.11Washington16Vermont16Southern16Norfolk St.16LIU11Virginia11VillanovaSOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston – aq16 Montana – aq8 Missouri9 USCPortland5 Kansas12 McNeese – aq4 Gonzaga – aq13 UNC Wilmington – aqBuffalo6 Auburn11 Boise St./ Washington3 Louisville14 Furman – aqBuffalo7 Creighton10 Saint Mary’s2 Michigan15 Youngstown St. – aqWEST (SAN JOSE)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Vermont – aq/ Southern – aq8 Texas9 CincinnatiTampa5 Iowa State12 Liberty – aq4 Illinois13 High Point – aqPortland6 Wisconsin11 Memphis – aq3 BYU14 Utah Valley – aqGreenville7 Oregon10 Marquette2 Kentucky15 Little Rock – aqEAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Tampa1aq – Florida16aq – Navy8 NC State9 Mississippi St.San Diego5 Arkansas12aq – Akron4 Arizona13aq – UC IrvineSan Diego6 North Carolina11aq – VCU3 UCLA14aq – St. Thomas-MinnesotaPhiladelphia7 Ohio State10 Ole Miss2aq – UConn15aq – Florida Gulf CoastMIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1aq – Purdue16aq – Norfolk St.aq – LIU/8 Baylor9 VanderbiltOklahoma City5 Alabama12aq – Yale4 Texas Tech13aq – Illinois StateSt. Louis6 Michigan State11 Virginia Villanova/3 Tennessee14aq – TroyPhiladelphia7aq – San Diego State10 Iowa2 St. John’s15aq – Siena
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Houston was the 2025 national runner-up, but it begins this season as the No. 1 overall seed in Bracketology. More importantly, the Cougars recently received a procedural advantage that could pay very substantial dividends in March. They were originally slotted as the host institution for the 2026 South Region. By rule, that would have precluded them from playing any rounds in the South Region. Several weeks ago, however, Houston was replaced by Rice as the host, so the Cougars can now be considered for a South Region slot — allowing for possible Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in their home city. Not that Kelvin Sampson needs the advantage. But this conveniently timed switch can’t hurt Houston’s chances of reaching a third Final Four in five years to perhaps, finally, capture the school’s first NCAA title. If that were to happen, I hope Rice receives more than a case of Phi Slamma Jamma towels in return. As we all know, the little things matter in March — and April!