The Akron Zips are headed back to March Madness .
And for the first time in program history, they're doing it two years in a row.
Winning the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday in dramatic fashion earned Akron the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Zips were 76-74 winners over Miami in the MAC title game after Nate Johnson hit a short floater in the lane with 2.3 seconds left.
The Zips find out later today who, when and where they will be playing in the NCAA Tournament . Until then, here's what the experts project for them.
How about a rematch — nearly 40 years later — of Akron's first trip to March Madness? ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Akron as a No. 13 seed in the West Region playing fourth-seeded Michigan in a first-round game in Denver.
Akron's first trip to the NCAA Tournament as a Division I team came in 1986 and ended in a 70-64 loss to second-seeded Michigan in Minneapolis. Akron was the 15 seed. That Michigan team, featuring Gary Grant, Roy Tarpley and Glen Rice, won the Big Ten and finished the season ranked No. 5. Against the Bob Huggins-coached Zips, the Wolverines trailed 32-30 at the half before rallying to avoid the upset.
CBS Sports' Jerry Palm has Akron as a 13 seed in the South Region, playing fourth-seeded Oregon in a first-round game in Seattle.
Two recent USA Today bracket predictions also had Akron as a 13 seed. One had the Zips playing BYU in Denver, and the other had them playing Maryland. Both projections had the game in Denver as part of the East Regional.
The Selection Committee will reveal the full NCAA tournament bracket at 6 p.m. ET today on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips March Madness bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament
