Mid-majors feel March Madness pressure in conference tournaments
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**By Jordan Mendoza**  
USA TODAY

**March 13, 2025 at 1:17 p.m. ET**

Even after a fantastic regular season, one bad game in league tournament can ruin a mid-major team's shot at the NCAA Tournament. After spending all summer getting transfers and newcomers acquainted with veterans, it’s a long grind to get in the best position to make the NCAA men's tournament.

It starts with notable non-conference wins, then league play, then trying to win their conference tournament title for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

But one off-night, one upset in the conference tournament, could end it all, and Selection Sunday becomes a day of what could have been. Teams that had an incredible season may be left hanging because of one unfortunate night in early March.

“The rules kind of go against us,” Yale head coach James Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “They’re not in our favor.”

UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen argues that there could be more NCAA Tournament upsets if top mid-majors in each conference reached the field of 68. More magic for a tournament that’s all about those iconic moments.

“There's a lot of value to have in the best mid-major tournament teams in the field because those are the kind of teams that can have an upset or have a run that people get excited about,” Olen said. “That's part of what makes that tournament and event really special, and that's why so many people tune in to that first weekend.”

The NET rankings
----------------

When it comes to selecting at-large tournament teams, it’s all about the metrics, specifically the NCAA Evaluation Tool — also known as the NET rankings.

While the tournament selection committee values a team's win total, it comes down to whom they defeated, and how many were impressive wins. Quad 1 wins are worth a lot, and a Quad 2 victory has some value. Quads 3 and 4 are often ignored – unless it’s a loss.

The Big West hasn’t sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament since 2005, but UC San Diego has a case for it regardless of a conference tournament title. It has a No. 35 NET ranking and a 28-4 record, tied with Duke for the most regular-season wins in Division I.

But the Tritons don’t have many high-profile wins. They are 2-1 in Quad 1 games.

“You can't compare schedules. Everybody's playing different people,” Olen said. “The conference tournaments are a lot of fun.” (This story is not part of the )

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“We want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“I want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“In college basketball, fortunes can change quickly at the mid-major level.

These teams exist outside the Power Four conferences, the Big East and schools not named Gonzaga, but their path toward March success is like any other team. After spending all summer getting transfers and newcomers acquainted with veterans, it’s a long grind to get in the best position to make the NCAA men's tournament.

It starts with notable non-conference wins, then league play, then trying to win their conference tournament title for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

But one off-night, one upset in the conference tournament, could end it all, and Selection Sunday becomes a day of what could have been. Teams that had an incredible season may be left hanging because of one unfortunate night in early March.

"The rules kind of go against us," Yale head coach James Jones told USA TODAY Sports. "They’re not in our favor."

UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen argues that there could be more NCAA Tournament upsets if top mid-majors in each conference reached the field of 68. More magic for a tournament that’s all about those iconic moments.

"There's a lot of value to have in the best mid-major tournament teams in the field because those are the kind of teams that can have an upset or have a run that people get excited about," Olen said. "That's part of what makes that tournament and event really special, and that's why so many people tune in to that first weekend."

The NET rankings
----------------

When it comes to selecting at-large tournament teams, it’s all about the metrics, specifically the NCAA Evaluation Tool — also known as the NET rankings.

While the tournament selection committee values a team's win total, it comes down to whom they defeated, and how many were impressive wins. Quad 1 wins are worth a lot, and a Quad 2 victory has some value. Quads 3 and 4 are often ignored – unless it’s a loss.

The Big West hasn’t sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament since 2005, but UC San Diego has a case for it regardless of a conference tournament title. It has a No. 35 NET ranking and a 28-4 record, tied with Duke for the most regular-season wins in Division I.

But the Tritons don’t have many high-profile wins. They are 2-1 in Quad 1 games.

“You can't compare schedules. Everybody's playing different people,” Olen said. “The conference tournaments are a lot of fun.” (This story is not part of the )

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“We want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“I want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“In college basketball, fortunes can change quickly at the mid-major level.

These teams exist outside the Power Four conferences, the Big East and schools not named Gonzaga, but their path toward March success is like any other team. After spending all summer getting transfers and newcomers acquainted with veterans, it’s a long grind to get in the best position to make the NCAA men's tournament.

It starts with notable non-conference wins, then league play, then trying to win their conference tournament title for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

But one off-night, one upset in the conference tournament, could end it all, and Selection Sunday becomes a day of what could have been. Teams that had an incredible season may be left hanging because of one unfortunate night in early March.

"The rules kind of go against us," Yale head coach James Jones told USA TODAY Sports. "They’re not in our favor."

UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen argues that there could be more NCAA Tournament upsets if top mid-majors in each conference reached the field of 68. More magic for a tournament that’s all about those iconic moments.

"There's a lot of value to have in the best mid-major tournament teams in the field because those are the kind of teams that can have an upset or have a run that people get excited about," Olen said. "That's part of what makes that tournament and event really special, and that's why so many people tune in to that first weekend."

The NET rankings
----------------

When it comes to selecting at-large tournament teams, it’s all about the metrics, specifically the NCAA Evaluation Tool — also known as the NET rankings.

While the tournament selection committee values a team's win total, it comes down to whom they defeated, and how many were impressive wins. Quad 1 wins are worth a lot, and a Quad 2 victory has some value. Quads 3 and 4 are often ignored – unless it’s a loss.

The Big West hasn’t sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament since 2005, but UC San Diego has a case for it regardless of a conference tournament title. It has a No. 35 NET ranking and a 28-4 record, tied with Duke for the most regular-season wins in Division I.

But the Tritons don’t have many high-profile wins. They are 2-1 in Quad 1 games.

“You can't compare schedules. Everybody's playing different people,” Olen said. “The conference tournaments are a lot of fun.” (This story is not part of the )

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“We want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”

“I want to have an opportunity to prove ourselves and play at this level and show what we're capable of. You just don't get the opportunities as much as you like to.”

“... because it's all about dollars and cents. I get it, I understand it.”
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