Sports
7 big questions that will impact the 2026 NCAA tournament bracket
A new men’s college basketball season has finally arrived. With it comes inevitable questions, both obvious and arcane, about players, teams and, most importantly, what will happen 5½ months from now. Below are just some of what your intrepid ESPN Bracketologist will be watching in the 19 weeks between now and Selection Sunday.
The first in-season projections of the 2026 March Madness field of 68 will release Nov. 11.
1. Who will secure the four No. 1 seeds on March 15?
Our season-opening projection lists Houston, Purdue, Florida and Duke on the top line of the bracket. History suggests we’ll be only half right, so I’m nominating Purdue and Florida as most likely to deceive. The reasons are that the Big Ten (in Purdue’s case) and the SEC (in Florida’s) have more contenders to chase the respective league favorites. Ultimately, Bracketology is a prisoner of probability, and it’s simply more likely that Houston and Duke ride the wave of their respective conferences to a No. 1 seed.
2. Who do we like in the emerging UConn–St. John’s rivalry?
The Big East has needed a grudge match like this since the end of Villanova’s hegemony in the conference. Both the Huskies and Johnnies are No. 2 seeds on our board to open the season, but we like the former to win the regular-season crown and the latter to cut down the nets at the Big East tournament. The major difference comes later in March, when Rick Pitino leads St. John’s to the Elite Eight and UConn falls in the second round in its chase for Dan Hurley’s third NCAA title.
3. Can the Big Ten really end a quarter-century of NCAA tournament frustration?
Yes. But I don’t think it will be preseason favorite Purdue that takes the conference’s first national championship since 2000. I’ve pushed my chips to the center of the table on Michigan.
4. Are there practical considerations already determining the 2026 NCAA bracket?
More than usual. Houston stepping back as host of the South regional means the Cougars can play in their home town in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Count on this after an opening weekend assignment in Oklahoma City. Another Big 12 entry, BYU, seems fairly locked on a West region placement and even more certain to open NCAA play in Portland (a Thursday-Saturday site) because of the school’s ban on Sunday competition.
On the other side of the country, UConn and St. John’s figure to have easy bus rides (to Philadelphia) when the bracket is revealed. Villanova could also play in Philly, having only three regular-season games scheduled for Xfinity Mobile Arena, but would be happy to see its name anywhere after three straight NCAA misses.
Other schools whose fans should be comfortable booking opening-round hotels: Florida (Tampa), Duke (Greenville, South Carolina), UCLA (San Diego) and Gonzaga (Portland). These and other travel tips are available for no extra charge for longtime Bracketology readers.
5. Which power conference gets the most bids …
The SEC should once again lead the way with the highest number of NCAA bids, although the Big Ten will be within striking distance. What the SEC will not do is match its record bid total (14) from last season. A dozen bids seems like a more realistic number this time around, as it took a perfect storm of metrics and mediocre teams in other multibid conferences for the SEC to hit the mother lode eight months ago.
6. … and which gets the fewest?
Once again, the ACC is listed for this dishonorable mention. The conference’s multiyear decline should be a thing of the past, however, with a healthy number of potential bubble teams that could raise the league’s bid number well above the half-dozen projected at this point, in a push toward double figures.
7. What are the other multibid conferences?
Last season, only the Mountain West (New Mexico, Utah State, San Diego State, Colorado State) and WCC (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s) snagged extra bids outside the Power 4-Big East cluster. The American and Atlantic 10 sunk to one-bid status mostly as a result of poor nonconference results. This season, the American’s best hope is for a team other than Memphis to win its automatic bid. In the A-10, multiple teams — VCU, Saint Louis, Dayton, Loyola Chicago and sleeper George Washington — have put together rosters good enough to be in the at-large conversation.
8. If ESPN put me in charge of programming, what would the “College GameDay” schedule look like?
With the caveat that this is not actually the “College GameDay” schedule.
Jan. 24: Houston at Texas Tech
Could very well be the game of the year in the Big 12, and also double the population of Lubbock for the weekend.
This is a no-brainer in Year 2 of the post-John Calipari era at Kentucky. Remember, the Razorbacks pulled the upset at Rupp Arena a year ago.
Feb. 7: Boise State at New Mexico
Let’s branch out a bit and go to The Pit in Albuquerque for the first time in forever.
If my hunch on the Wolverines is a good one, this would be a colossal showdown of old-school vs. new-school Big Ten.
Feb. 21: Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Let’s turn the set 90 degrees at Memorial Gym and look at Rece & Co. sideways (might not be a bad thing …). Also, there haven’t been enough seasons in which the Vols and ‘Dores have been this good at the same time.
Feb. 28: Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s
The end of the best and longest rivalry in the history of the West Coast Conference.
March 7: North Carolina at Duke
I have to make Cameron Indoor the season’s final stop.
INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg said he “absolutely” plans to play in the national title game against UConn on Monday night.
Lendeborg sprained his left MCL and left ankle in the first half against Arizona on Saturday night, and an MRI on the knee Sunday morning came back “very clear,” according to Michigan trainer Chris Williams.
Williams told ESPN on Sunday that Lendeborg’s injury is a “low-grade” MCL sprain in his knee, which also has a “small bone bruise.” The ankle sprain is also considered “low grade” and has minimal swelling.
“He’s still tender and walking around a little bit gingerly, but good,” Williams said.
On Sunday night, when availability reports for both teams were released, Lendeborg was not listed by the Wolverines.
Lendeborg played just 14 minutes on Saturday against Arizona, spending much of the first half getting treated in the locker room. Coach Dusty May said Sunday that the decision to play will be up to Lendeborg and the Michigan medical staff, which has indicated confidence that he will be available.
“I’m sure he’ll give it a go tomorrow,” May said.
Lendeborg’s knee loomed as a bigger concern than his injured ankle, and he clarified that’s what the MRI revealed. He returned to the court and played nine minutes in the second half, wearing a compression sleeve over the injured knee, but he appeared clearly limited.
“He played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA,” May said. “And a really good 38-year-old at the YMCA.”
Williams told ESPN that he stayed in Lendeborg’s room until 4:30 a.m. after the Arizona game, giving him treatment on the knee. Williams said that his aim for Lendeborg’s agility for Monday is a much younger version than May’s description. “Hopefully 18,” Williams said.
Despite being hobbled, Lendeborg drained a pair of second-half 3-pointers, as he finished with 11 points on four shots.
Williams said he’s “very optimistic” about Lendeborg’s availability. Williams laid out the next 30 hours or so until tipoff: “It should be a lot of treatment still. I’m going to be in his room a lot. He’s going to be in my room a lot. So, we’ll be doing treatment around the clock and just trying to manage his pain the best we can.”
He said that the treatment will be on the knee and ankle, and he plans to use a Hivamat machine and a Class 4 laser.
Williams told ESPN on Saturday night that he’ll be spending a lot of time with Lndeborg.
“He might move into my room,” Williams said Saturday. “You’re laughing, but he might move into my room. We have two beds in there, so we might have to find another room for my wife and my son.”
College baseball brought the heat the past week and a slew of home runs to go along with it. But while there was some fiery play on the diamond, this week’s top 25 rankings don’t look a whole lot different.
UCLA faced probably its toughest test yet in USC this past weekend, but the Bruins proved why they have been the No. 1 team in the country all season long and swept their crosstown rival in Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Alabama made another big jump this week, going from No. 16 to No. 8 to be ranked in the top 10 for the first time this season after winning its series against Oklahoma, but the week’s biggest riser was UCF as the Knights jumped up 11 spots to No. 12.
LSU is back in the rankings at No. 24 after taking two on the road against Tennessee. After beating Florida twice, Ole Miss has rejoined the top 25 and the Gators have exited. Also gone from the rankings this week is Kentucky after it lost its series to Missouri.
Here are the entire top 25 rankings as of April 4, plus our favorite moments and what we’re watching in the week to come.
Top moments
A big-time rally! Kansas hit four home runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off and beat Utah 14-12. The Jayhawks would go on to sweep the Utes, as well.
ICYMI, @SportsCenter will get you caught up 😏
4 HR in the bottom of the 9th on Thursday to walk it off‼️#RockChalk pic.twitter.com/pvp7y7lOCe
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) April 4, 2026
And this play from Texas’ Casey Borba is incredible.
Casey Borba can do it all! 😮💨#NCAABaseball x 🎥 SECN+ / @TexasBaseball pic.twitter.com/HFpqzeZkvw
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) April 4, 2026
Player to watch
Cade Arrambide, C, LSU
We’re all-in on Arrambide. Against Tennessee in Knoxville, he hit four home runs in the series finale to help seal the series win for LSU.
0:55
Watch LSU’s Cade Arrambide make SEC history with four homers
Arrambide becomes the first player in program history to hit four home runs in a game for the Tigers as he also finishes with seven RBI against the Vols.
And let’s just watch that grand slam one more time for good measure, because even though that surely would have been electric in Alex Box Stadium, there has to be something even sweeter about doing that on the road in the SEC.
0:54
Cade Arrambide’s 12th inning grand slam caps off 4-HR day
LSU’s Cade Arrambide clubs a grand slam in the 12th inning for his fourth homer of the game in the Tigers’ win against Tennessee.
LSU has had its fair share of struggles throughout this season, going from the No. 2-ranked team in the country to falling out of the rankings completely last week. But with Arrambide getting hot — he has eight total home runs on the season to go along with 23 RBIs — the defending national champions are certainly bound to keep turning things around.
Series to watch
No. 2 Texas at No. 18 Texas A&M
Game 1: 8 p.m. Friday (SEC Network+)
Game 2: 3 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2)
Game 3: 2 p.m. Sunday (SEC Network+)
Jim Schlossnagle makes his first return to College Station, and we’re sure Aggies fans will have it out for their former coach. After leading Texas A&M to the Men’s College World Series in 2024, he left to become to the Texas head coach, as if an already-charged rivalry needed any more juice. But Schlossnagle has his Longhorns ranked at No. 2 in the country, and the Aggies have seemingly found their footing this year and are ranked at No. 18. Who’s to say what will actually happen between these two squads, but we’ll be watching every minute of it.
Updated top 25
Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. UCLA Bruins
Previous rank: 1
Record: 29-2
Next game: at Cal State Fullerton, 9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
2. Texas Longhorns
Previous rank: 2
Record: 26-5
Next game: vs. Incarnate Word, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous rank: 3
Record: 26-5
Next game: vs. Kennesaw State, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
4. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous rank: 5
Record: 27-6
Next game: vs. Presbyterian, 3 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
5. Florida State Seminoles
Previous rank: 7
Record: 24-7
Next game: vs. Florida, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2)
6. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous rank: 6
Record: 27-5
Next game: vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network)
7. Oregon State Beavers
Previous rank: 9
Record: 24-6
Next game: at Washington State, 7:05 p.m. Monday
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Previous rank: 16
Record: 25-8
Next game: vs. Samford, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous rank: 4
Record: 25-7
Next game: vs. UAB, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
10. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Previous rank: 8
Record: 23-9
Next game: vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
11. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Previous rank: 14
Record: 23-8
Next game: vs. Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
12. UCF Knights
Previous rank: 23
Record: 20-9
Next game: vs. Stetson, 6 p.m. Tuesday
13. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous rank: 10
Record: 24-9
Next game: vs. James Madison, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
14. USC Trojans
Previous rank: 12
Record: 27-6
Next game: at UC Santa Barbara, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
15. Auburn Tigers
Previous rank: 18
Record: 22-9
Next game: vs. Jacksonville State, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network)
16. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous rank: 11
Record: 21-10
Next game: at Dallas Baptist, 7:30 p.m. Monday (ESPN+)
17. West Virginia Mountaineers
Previous rank: 13
Record: 21-7
Next game: vs. Marshall, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
18. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous rank: 20
Record: 25-6
Next game: at Texas State, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Previous rank: 19
Record: 26-6
Next game: vs. Kansas, 7 p.m. Tuesday
20. Arizona State Sun Devils
Previous rank: 25
Record: 23-9
Next game: at Grand Canyon, 8:05 p.m. Tuesday
21. Oregon Ducks
Previous rank: 15
Record: 24-8
Next game: at Portland, 8 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN+)
22. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous rank: 17
Record: 20-13
Next game: vs. Little Rock, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
23. Boston College Eagles
Previous rank: 22
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. UMass, 3 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
24. LSU Tigers
Previous rank: NR
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
25. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous rank: NR
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. Alcorn State, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
Multan Sultans have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Rawalpindiz in the 14th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday.
This will be the first time both Sultans and Pindiz face each other in the PSL.
Playing XIs
Multan Sultans: Steven Smith, Sahibzada Farhan, Josh Philippe (wk), Shan Masood, Ashton Turner (c), Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Nawaz, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ismail and Faisal Akram.
RawalPindiz: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Yasir Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings, Abdullah Fazal, Dian Forrester, Rishad Hossain, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Amir Khan and Asif Afridi.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
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