Reseed the Final Four? That idea is as bad as last time I heard it

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Reseed the Final Four? That idea is as bad as last time I heard it

Reseed the Final Four? That idea is as bad as last time I heard it

Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Wed, Apr 1, 2026 ·

5 min read

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Reseed the Final Four.

You're going to hear that idea this week , with the top two teams in college basketball , Arizona and Michigan, meeting in the semifinals instead of the national championship, while UConn faces Illinois in the other semifinal.

Like a lot of ideas, this one sounds good in the theory stage. Peel back the layers, though, and envision what reseeding the Final Four would mean in practice, and the idea loses footing.

Reseeding would require disrupting the original structure of the bracket.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it as long as the NCAA has this tournament format: Leave the tournament alone.

I'll say it once more for effect: Leave. The. Bracket. Alone.

Do not tweak. Do not tinker. Do not implement any harebrained ideas or add more mediocre teams or shuffle the assignments once the Final Four arrives.

Toppmeyer: Duke blows it, UConn wins it, and Arizona shouldn't care

Final Four reseed: Power rankings of the teams left in March Madness

The tournament is one thing the NCAA gets right. Take a bow, and enjoy it.

It's not broken. Don't fix it.

Still, it seems like such a simple adjustment, right? Now that the Final Four teams are set, just flip Arizona and Illinois and have the two 1-seeds on opposite seeds of the bracket.

And that's when it hits you: The bracket. That beautiful creation is the star of this show. That's why you cannot simply reseed the Final Four. You'd disrupt all of those brackets people filled out the day after Selection Sunday, when they were supposed to be working but instead were researching that, yes, High Point over Wisconsin is the best possibility for a 12 vs. 5 upset. And that, yes, Arizona and Michigan will win their regions and meet in the semifinals.

They'll meet in the semifinals. Not the finals. That's what you wrote down on your bracket.

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)

Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John's Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.
(Denis Poroy, Imagn Images)

Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

(SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

VCU Rams fans react after a 3-pointer by Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Howard Bison cheerleaders perform during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Keybank Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

BYU Cougars cheerleader in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Mar 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Texas A&M Aggies cheerleaders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

Texas Longhorns band in the first half against the BYU Cougars during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

St. John's Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunder mixes with players prior to taking the court during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers fans cheer during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers cheerleaders react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)

The North Dakota State Bison mascot and cheerleaders pose for a photo before the game against the Michigan State Spartans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during a time out during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.
(Jeff Le, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)

The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, William Purnell-Imagn Images)

The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.
(Bill Streicher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Akron Zips fans in the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders in the first half against the Akron Zips during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Santa Clara Broncos fans react to game play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.
(Jeff Le, Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

Akron Zips cheerleaders and mascot in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Wright State Raiders fans celebrate after a Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) scores during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

Hofstra Pride cheerleaders in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Garth Noble of the Louisville pep band is amped at the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness basketball tournament at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 21, 2026.
(Matt Stone/Courier Journal)

Michigan head coach Dusty May high-fives players after 95-72 win over Saint Louis at the NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
(Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and spirit squad cheer during the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament against the Fairfield Stags at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 21, 2026.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)

Don't complicate this: March Madness bracket is simple and beautiful

At its core, March Madness is entertainment, and part of the entertainment is everyone from your 10-year-old daughter to your 95-year-old grandpa fills out a bracket, for a shot at prize money or at least some bragging rights.

As much as we love the Cinderellas and the buzzer-beaters and the comebacks and the 40-foot swishes from the logo , we love the bracket itself every bit as much or more. We like highlighting our correct picks and seeing our predictions come true.

Anyone can understand how the bracket works, even if you don't watch a single minute of basketball before March, even if you wouldn't watch a single second of this tournament, if not to see how you bracket fares against your mother-in-law's bracket.

The bracket's beauty is in its simplicity of design. Sixteen teams in each quadrant, funneling into a Final Four. A team loses, and it's out. Win and advance. And as you fill it out, you decide which two teams you think will meet next.

Smart prognosticators kept writing down Arizona and Michigan until they reached the Final Four.

If the bracket got reseeded, how does that work for your bracket pool?

Everyone re-picks their Final Four two weeks into the tournament?

Forget it.

1-seeds can fall in Final Four, when we least expect it

Anyway, the moment we think we've figured out March Madness, we're reminded this tournament isn't so easy to figure out, even within a year when two 1-seeds meet in the Final Four.

The old-timers can tell us stories of the 1983 Final Four. That year, No. 1 Houston and No. 1 Louisville met in one semifinal. Phi Slama Jama vs. Doctors of Dunk.

In the other semifinal: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 6 North Carolina State.

The Houston-Louisville game on Saturday became the marquee attraction, and surely the winner would win it all, right?

Houston went for 94 points against Louisville. Two nights later came one of the biggest stunners in tournament history.

The Wolfpack, an O.G. Cinderella, stunned Houston in the finals, winning on a buzzer-beating dunk, and Jim Valvano went running onto the court looking for someone, anyone, to hug.

If you watched it, you'll never forget it. If you didn't, you've probably seen the highlight so many times you almost feel like you lived through it.

The idea of reseeding the Final Four goes back more than two decades. In 2004, Dick Vitale was hollering we needed to "Reseed the Final Four!" before Duke and UConn met in the semifinals, in a matchup of what appeared to be the two best teams remaining.

That year served two epic semifinals. Georgia Tech beat Oklahoma State to advance to the finals as a 3-seed. UConn rallied to beat Duke, because apparently no halftime lead is safe for the Blue Devils this deep into the tournament.

And, sure, two nights later, UConn had the championship in hand by halftime, but so what? Saturday's games were great.

The reseeding topic resurfaced in earnest in 2018, when all-time underdog Loyola-Chicago reached the Final Four as an 11-seed and Sister Jean became the world's most famous nun.

No. 3 Michigan faced Loyola in the semifinals, while No. 1 Villanova played fellow No. 1 Kansas. Villanova handled the Final Four just fine without reseeding, winning both games in blowouts.

As Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of basketball for the NCAA, pointed out that year, reseeding the bracket along the way would create a minefield for underdogs. Upset a top team, and a Cinderella's reward becomes getting another top seed moved from across the bracket into its path.

"My concern is that the very thing that makes the tournament so popular would be diminished in some way," Gavitt told the AP in 2018, on the subject of reseeding.

Another way to say that: Don't fix what isn't broken.

In its current form, the bracket isn't broken. It's beautiful the way it is.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reseed Final Four? No thanks, that idea ignores NCAA bracket beauty

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1-seeds can fall in Final Four, when we least expect it