2025-26 men’s college basketball power conference rankings

Any of our comments on the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season will be considered premature, with only three nights remaining.

What would not be an overreaction is an initial assessment of power conferences.

last season We correctly predicted that the SEC would be the best based on strength, number of bids, average seeding – and eventual champion. This year, instead of measuring based solely on NCAA bids and potential seedings, we’re ranking the power conferences based on the answers to a single question: Which league is most likely to produce a 2026 national champion?

Given this century’s history, the No. 1 pick may surprise you. Happy Hoops!

Note: “Current bids” refers to the number of bids in a conference latest bracketology“Estimated Bids” means the number of bids expected to be placed at a conference. on selection sunday

5. acc

Current bids: 5
Estimated bids: 6
Average Seed: 6.2
Bid Percentage: 33.3%

Championship Potential: ruler There is a legitimate and obvious national championship contender, but don’t sleep louisvilleIt’s hard to believe that just two years ago the Cardinals were a Quad 4 team.

Joey Bracketts 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 expanding to 18 members two years ago. But the bottom line has been hit (we’re sure this time!) and the league may blow past its projections for March due to the increasing number of bubble teams.

game of the year: Duke at Louisville (January 6, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

4. Big East

Current bids: 5
Estimated bids: 4
Average Seed: 4.8
Bid Percentage: 36.4%

Championship Potential: If you live in the Northeast, gear up for a boom Yukon,st johns Neither side is trying to downplay the rivalry. Both have rosters large enough to play in April, and both have coaches with multiple national championships.

Joey Bracketts says: The Big East is a lot more fun with a little (a lot?) friction. Jay Wright’s years and villanova Like college basketball’s Sara Lee (“Nobody likes her”) is gone. Now we just need Danny Hurley to join Rick Pitino in a Louis Carnesecca sweater at Madison Square Garden. This hype may mask a longer NCAA Tournament drought for players like Nova (three years). seton hall (Three) george town (Four), Servant (five) and, fiction, 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
Estimated bids: 8
Average Seed: 4.3
Bid Percentage: 50.0%

Championship Potential: Strangely, the Big 12 teams most talked about as Final Four or better candidates this season are recent additions (houston, Arizona And BYUMini Slide by kansas And boilerNot expansion, but conference has lost its long-held hold on the top spot of our rankings. If and when Kansas returns to form — which could be this season — keep an eye out.

Joey Bracketts says: The Big 12 games late every Monday during conference play are my favorite two hours of the week. There is little if any competition, and not much to do other than fan out on cold winter nights in old-fashioned gyms. But the basketball remains extraordinary, along with the Big Monday calls of Boog Sciambi and Fran Frascilla.

game of the year: Houston at Kansas (February 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

2 sec

Current bids: 11
Estimated bids: 12
Average Seed: 6.3
Bid Percentage: 75.0%

Championship Potential: FloridaA very reasonable effort to go back-to-back for the second time this century is enough to keep the SEC at the top of our list. Up to half a dozen other Final Fours (and beyond?) are good. I’m not sure any “net cutting” is good.

Joey Bracketts says: Let’s give a final prop last season to the SEC’s mothership of NCAA bids (a record 14), top seeds (two 1s, two 2s), Final Four teams (two) and, of course, the champion Gators. Going from only three NCAA teams last season (2016) to 14 out of 16 is beyond remarkable. It may also be unattainable, as the pendulum of power swings both ways.

game of the year: in Florida kentucky (March 7, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

1. Big Ten

Current bids: 11
Estimated bids: 10
Average Seed: 5.5
Bid Percentage: 55.6%

Championship Potential: It’s obviously too early to know exactly, but Purdue, michigan And Illinois Definitely 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 a 25-year NCAA title drought.

Joey Bracketts says: The SEC will have better numbers, but this season the Big Ten may finally be trading a little quantity for quality at the top end of the bracket. Purdue cutting the net in Indy is the easiest story to track, but I stand by my point preseason pick Of Michigan. And, on opening nightIllinois may have been the most influential.

game of the year: Illinois at Purdue (January 24, 3 p.m. ET, Fox)