Sports
Ranking the power conferences to open 2025-26
Any reactions we have to the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season will be considered premature, being just three nights in.
What won’t be an overreaction is an early gauge of the power conferences.
Last season we correctly predicted the SEC would be the best, by strength, number of bids, average seeding — and eventual champion. This year, instead of measuring just by NCAA bids and potential seeding, we’re ranking the power conferences based on answering on a single question: Which league is most likely to produce the 2026 national champion?
Given its history this century, the No. 1 choice might surprise you. Happy hoops!
Note: “Current bids” refers to the number of bids a conference has in the latest Bracketology. “Projected bids” refers to the number of bids a conference could have on Selection Sunday
5. ACC
Current bids: 5
Projected bids: 6
Average seed: 6.2
Bid percentage: 33.3%
Championship caliber: Duke is a legitimate and obvious national championship contender, but don’t sleep on Louisville. It’s hard to believe the Cardinals were a Quad 4 team just two years ago.
Joey Brackets says: In many ways, the ACC has only one way to go. The conference hasn’t sent at least half of its teams to the NCAA tournament since 2018, and it hasn’t come close to that benchmark since ballooning to 18 members two years ago. But the bottom has been hit (we’re sure this time!) and a growing number of bubble teams could lead to the league in exceeding its projection for March.
Game of the year: Duke at Louisville (Jan. 6, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
4. Big East
Current bids: 5
Projected bids: 4
Average seed: 4.8
Bid percentage: 36.4%
Championship caliber: If you live in the Northeast, buckle in for an emerging UConn–St. John’s rivalry neither side is trying to downplay. Both have rosters good enough to play in April, and both have coaches with multiple national championships.
Joey Brackets says: The Big East is so much more fun with a little (a lot of?) friction. The years of Jay Wright and Villanova as the Sara Lee of college basketball (“Nobody doesn’t like them”) are gone. All we need now is for Danny Hurley to join Rick Pitino in a Louie Carnesecca sweater at Madison Square Garden. That hype might hide the lengthening NCAA tourney droughts for the likes of Nova (three years), Seton Hall (three) Georgetown (four), Butler (five) and, gulp, DePaul (we stopped counting at 20).
Game of the year: UConn at St. John’s (Feb. 6, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
3. Big 12
Current bids: 8
Projected bids: 8
Average seed: 4.3
Bid percentage: 50.0%
Championship caliber: Strangely, the Big 12 teams most talked about as Final Four or better candidates this season are recent additions (Houston, Arizona and BYU). Mini-slides by Kansas and Baylor, not expansion, have led to the conference losing its long-standing grip on the top spot of our rankings. If and when Kansas returns to form — which could be this season — look out.
Joey Brackets says: The late Big 12 games every Monday during conference play are my favorite two hours of the week. There is little, if any, competition, and not much to do except be a fan of cold winter nights in old-school gyms. But the basketball remains exceptional, along with the Big Monday call from Boog Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla.
Game of the year: Houston at Kansas (Feb. 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
2. SEC
Current bids: 11
Projected bids: 12
Average seed: 6.3
Bid percentage: 75.0%
Championship caliber: Florida‘s very reasonable attempt to go back-to-back for the second time this century is enough to put the SEC near the top of our list. Up to a half-dozen others are Final Four (and beyond?) good. I’m just not sure any are “cut down the nets” good.
Joey Brackets says: Let’s give final props to the SEC’s motherlode of NCAA bids last season (a record 14), top seeds (two 1s, two 2s), Final Four teams (two) and, of course, the champion Gators. To go from only three NCAA teams (2016) to 14 of 16 last season is beyond remarkable. It might also be unrepeatable, as the pendulum of power tends to swing both ways.
Game of the year: Florida at Kentucky (March 7, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
1. Big Ten
Current bids: 11
Projected bids: 10
Average seed: 5.5
Bid percentage: 55.6%
Championship caliber: It’s obviously too early to really know, but Purdue, Michigan and Illinois sure look like serious Final Four contenders. And all have the star power to win once they get there, especially in Indianapolis, where there should finally be enough juice for the Big Ten to end its 25-year NCAA title drought.
Joey Brackets says: The SEC will have better numbers, but the Big Ten this season might finally trade a little quantity for quality at the top end of the bracket. Purdue cutting down the nets in Indy is the easiest storyline to track, but I’m sticking with my preseason pick of Michigan. And, on opening night, Illinois might have been the most impressive of all.
Game of the year: Illinois at Purdue (Jan. 24, 3 p.m. ET, Fox)
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New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young made an incredible play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward dropped back to pass in the second quarter, but the Saints’ pass rush quickly descended on him. Ward tried to make a move around one defender but didn’t see Young in his blind spot.
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New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) returns his strip for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Young ripped the ball out of Ward’s hands and took the ball to the end zone for a Saints touchdown. It helped cut their deficit to 13-10.
Young, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, joined the Saints after the 2023 season. He only had one fumble return for a touchdown in his career — his rookie season when he was with the Washington Commanders. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
He came into the game with seven sacks, three pass breakups and 28 tackles.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) celebrates his strip and touchdown return with cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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Young’s play would be the lone highlight for the Saints’ defense in the first half. Tennessee took a 20-10 lead into the locker room after Ward bounced back with a touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor before the break.
New Orleans has struggled for most of the season, but the defense was supposed to be something to take pride in. The Saints entered the game eighth in yards allowed and 14th in points allowed.
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So far, that kind of defense hadn’t shown up in Nashville.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk was back on the ice with the Florida Panthers on Sunday, appearing at practice for the first time this season and more than four months after he had surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers clinched their second consecutive title by again topping the Edmonton Oilers. He went through the summer trying to rehab but eventually decided that he needed the surgery.
“He looks awesome,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “Good to see him back out there. He brought us some energy today, that’s for sure.”
Tkachuk was wearing a yellow noncontact jersey, an indication that he’s not yet ready for game action. Florida plays host to Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday, then will be the home team for the NHL Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins‘ ballpark against the New York Rangers on Friday.
The Panthers are scheduled to practice at the ballpark on Thursday, but there’s no guarantee that Tkachuk will play Friday.
“There’s a whole bunch of things he’s got to get through. The question is, is there enough time,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He might be healthy enough or close to enough that he could play, but we’re not guessing on this. … As much as we like the spectacle of it and we’d love for him to be a part of it — it would be great for the game to see him out there — the Florida Panthers need him healthy for the rest of the year.”
After the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk revealed that he had sustained the injuries while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tkachuk had 23 points — eight goals and 15 assists — in 23 playoff games, including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers have been without a slew of key players all season, including captain Aleksander Barkov. They entered Sunday tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, only five points out of the lead in the Atlantic Division.
Florida has gone through this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would be back on a “December-ish” timeline. He has said he wants to play in the Winter Classic, the Panthers’ first outdoor game, and for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
“We will enjoy the talent upgrade,” Maurice said. “He’s a great player. But it’s the personality more. He’s chirping on the ice, right? He’s giving it to guys. They’re laughing. He’s bringing a little joy to everyone. He’s funny on the bench. He has an incredible emotional IQ in terms of the game of hockey. When nothing needs to happen, he doesn’t do anything. When something needs to happen, he figures out the right way.”
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Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper piled onto the Kansas City Chiefs’ dismal season on Saturday night.
The Broncos clinched the AFC West title for the first time since 2015 after the Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Houston Texans. The Chiefs have been on top of the division since 2016 with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes leading the charge.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) throws a pass as he is hit by Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) and Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 25, 2025 (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)
Cooper made his feelings about the Chiefs clear with explicit posts directed at the franchise.
“F— the Chiefs,” he wrote on X. “B—h made a– pansies.”
Cooper has been a bright spot for the Broncos’ defense over the last three seasons. He hasn’t missed a game since 2022. This year, he has eight sacks and 49 total tackles in 16 games. He’s a big reason why Denver’s defense has been one of the best throughout the season.
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Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 5, 2025 (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
The Broncos are third in points allowed and yards allowed this season.
Denver defeated Kansas City on Thursday night to move to 13-3 on the season.
It was the first time the Broncos had hit the 13-win mark in a single season since 2013. In that season, the John Fox-led squad made the Super Bowl but lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
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The Broncos are hoping to replicate the 2015 season rather than 2013 with their impending playoff run this year.
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