March Madness conference records: Big Ten is elite, ACC is bad. How are leagues doing?
Story by
March Madness conference records: Big Ten is elite, ACC is bad. How are leagues doing?
Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY NETWORK·USA TODAY Sports
·
2 min read
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
In a college sports landscape where resume is so important, loyalties don't just lie with teams anymore. They lie with conferences as well, even if it's to push an agenda.
With that in mind, every conference wants to believe it is the creme de la creme. The SEC showed its depth for the second year in a row by sending 10 teams to theMen's NCAA Tournament, theBig Tenfielded nine, and the Big 12 sent eight. The ACC also sent eight teams, whereas the Big East sent just three.
North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
Brendan Coyle #21 of the Siena Saints reacts after the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Siena Saints 71-65.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars shakes hands with members of the Idaho Vandals following the first round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
McNeese Cowboys guard Tyshawn Archie (8) walks off the court after losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores during a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Paycom Centeron March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)
Riley Saunders #13 and Andy Stefonowicz #5 of the North Dakota State Bison high five after being defeated by the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, New York.
(Ishika Samant, Getty Images)
Wisconsin Badgersguard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react 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, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)
Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojansreactsafter coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum (1) and Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brandon Noel (14) react after losing to Texas Christian University Horned Frogs 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)
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) reacts after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 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)
Lehigh Mountain Hawks huddle together after being defeated by the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) and SMU Mustangs center Jaden Toombs (10) leave the court after being defeated by the Miami (OH) RedHawks during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
Trevon Blassingame #1 and Seth Joba #21 of the Idaho Vandals react after the defeat against the Houston Cougars in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
1/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
1/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
2/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Brendan Coyle #21 of the Siena Saints reacts after the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Siena Saints 71-65.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
3/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars shakes hands with members of the Idaho Vandals following the first round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
4/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
McNeese Cowboys guard Tyshawn Archie (8) walks off the court after losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores during a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Paycom Centeron March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)
5/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Riley Saunders #13 and Andy Stefonowicz #5 of the North Dakota State Bison high five after being defeated by the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, New York.
(Ishika Samant, Getty Images)
6/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Wisconsin Badgersguard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react 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, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)
7/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojansreactsafter coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
8/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum (1) and Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brandon Noel (14) react after losing to Texas Christian University Horned Frogs 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)
9/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) reacts after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 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)
10/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Lehigh Mountain Hawks huddle together after being defeated by the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
11/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) and SMU Mustangs center Jaden Toombs (10) leave the court after being defeated by the Miami (OH) RedHawks during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
12/12
March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Trevon Blassingame #1 and Seth Joba #21 of the Idaho Vandals react after the defeat against the Houston Cougars in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Other multi-bid conferences include the West Coast Conference, the MAC, and the Atlantic 10.
Of course, beyond them are the auto-bid conference tournament winners, the single-bid conferences who annually send one team. How did these teams fare, and who is moving on to the second round? Here's a breakdown of the records across the board for all 31 college basketball conferences.
Power 4 Men's NCAA Tournament records
The Big Ten got off to a hot start with a 13-3 record through the first two rounds.
Only Wisconsin (No. 5) and Ohio State (No. 8) lost in the Big Ten in the first round and UCLA lost to UConn in Round 2.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Then in the Sweet 16's first batch of games Iowa and Purdue advanced, with Iowa having to beat a fellow Big Ten team, Nebraska, to reach the Elite Eight.
The ACC is a middling 5-7, and will lean on Duke to carry the banner of the once-proud hoops conference.
Conference
Record
Big Ten
16-4
SEC
12-7
Big 12
9-6
ACC
5-7
Other multi-bid conference records in March Madness
