Ayrton Oneill
The selection process for NCAA Division III basketball tournaments involves determining the teams' seedings and matchups in the knockout bracket. While the specific criteria for selecting host seeds may vary, several factors are typically considered. These include geography, with teams within the same region or within 500 miles of each other being grouped together. Higher regional rankings also increase the chances of hosting, but the NCAA encourages committees to prioritize cost-effectiveness by giving hosting opportunities to lower-seeded teams that are closer to other teams. Other considerations include facilities, attendance history, revenue potential, and the school's willingness to host. The selection committee uses various resources, data, and observations to make informed decisions, and the host sites for the initial rounds are typically announced when the tournament bracket is released.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 68 |
| Team sheet | A one-page document for every team in Division I that helps the committee get a complete picture of that team’s performance during the season |
| Team sheet contents | Strength of schedule, performance against top-50 teams, home/road records |
| Selection committee | The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee |
| Committee composition | School and conference administrators nominated by their conference, serving five-year terms and representing a cross-section of the Division I membership |
| Committee resources | Observation, consultation, data resources, discussion and deliberation |
| Selection criteria | No set formula, but includes a multitude of stats and rankings |
| Criteria examples | Record, strength of schedule, NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, Team Value Index (TVI), adjusted net efficiency, adjusted offensive efficiency, adjusted defensive efficiency, adjusted efficiency margin, Basketball Power Index (BPI) |
| Hosting criteria | Geography, facilities, attendance history, revenue potential, school's willingness to host, travel costs |
| Geographical regions | Region 1: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, RI, VT; Region 2: NY, PA; Region 3: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, NC, OH, PR, SC, TN, VA, WV; Region 4: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY |
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Regional rankings
Division III basketball teams are divided into regions, with ten regions in total. These regions are labelled numerically from Region I to Region X.
The NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee announced the field of 64 teams for the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. Automatic qualification (AQ) was granted to 43 conference champions, with the remaining 21 teams selected from conferences with automatic bids that did not win their conference's AQ. The teams are geographically paired whenever possible.
Sixteen sites hosted four teams each for the first and second rounds of the 2025 championship, played on March 7 and 8. The winners of these rounds advanced to one of four sectional sites on March 14 and 15. The winners of the four sectional championship games moved on to the semifinals and finals, which took place on March 20 and 22. All games except the semifinals and finals were played on the campuses of competing institutions.
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Geography
Region 1: This region includes the northeastern states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Region 2: It covers New York and Pennsylvania.
Region 3: Region 3 spans across several states in the East and Midwest, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Additionally, Puerto Rico is part of this region.
Region 4: This region encompasses a large geographical area, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
When organizing tournaments, the NCAA aims to keep travel costs down, especially during the opening weekend. To achieve this, they may opt to give hosting opportunities to lower-seeded teams that are geographically closer to other teams in their pod, reducing the need for long-distance travel or flights. Teams that are within 500 miles of each other are considered regional games.
For example, in the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship, the field of 64 teams was geographically paired whenever possible. Sixteen sites hosted four teams each for the first and second rounds, played on the campuses of competing institutions.
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Facilities
Division III, or D-III, is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. It is also the NCAA's largest division, with around 450 member institutions, 80% of which are private and 20% public. D-III institutions must sponsor at least three team sports for each gender, with each playing season represented.
When it comes to facilities, D-III schools do not offer athletic scholarships to student-athletes. This is in contrast to Division I and II schools, which are allowed to offer athletic scholarships. D-III schools have smaller budgets and less elaborate facilities compared to D-I schools.
The NCAA tournament selection committees decide which schools will host each weekend of the tournament. While teams with higher regional rankings are more likely to be selected as hosts, the committees consider several other factors, including:
- Geography: The NCAA encourages committees to keep travel costs down, especially during the opening weekend. Therefore, they may give hosting opportunities to a lower-seeded team that is closer to the other teams in the pod, reducing the number of flights. If a team is 500 miles or more from the game site, the NCAA will pay for the team's flight.
- Facilities: The quality and capacity of the facilities will be considered.
- Attendance history: Schools with a history of good attendance may be favoured.
- Revenue potential: Schools with a higher revenue potential may be preferred.
- Willingness to host: Committees may consider a school's willingness to host and their ability to cover costs.
The host sites for the first two rounds of the tournament are typically announced when the tournament bracket is released. The host sites for the subsequent rounds, such as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, are usually announced a few days later.
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Attendance history
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, commonly referred to as March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament between 68 teams that attracts millions of viewers. The total paid attendance at NCAA college basketball tournament games reached its highest figure to date in 2013, with nearly 800,000 spectators. This figure decreased slightly in recent years, with the 2022 count at 684,000 spectators.
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team is one of the most successful Division I basketball teams in history, with an average of almost 19,900 fans attending their home games during the 2023 season. The National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball top division draws in large crowds, with the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament attracting an average attendance of over 10 million viewers.
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Revenue potential
The revenue potential of a host site is one of the factors that the NCAA tournament selection committees consider when deciding which schools will host the games. Teams with higher regional rankings are more likely to be selected as hosts, but the NCAA also considers other factors such as geography, facilities, and attendance history.
To keep travel costs down, the NCAA encourages committees to give hosting opportunities to schools that are closer to the other teams in the pod, even if they are lower-seeded. If a team is 500 miles or more from the game site, the NCAA will pay for the team's flight. This can help to reduce costs for the NCAA and increase revenue potential for the host site.
The NCAA also considers a school's willingness to host when making their decision. Schools that are actively seeking hosting opportunities and are willing to invest in the necessary facilities and resources may be more likely to be selected as host sites.
Additionally, the host sites for the early rounds of the tournament may be announced before the teams are finalized, which can impact the revenue potential. For example, if a lower-seeded team that is closer to the host site advances further in the tournament than expected, it can increase the local interest and attendance at the host site, resulting in higher revenue potential.
Overall, the revenue potential of a host site is an important consideration for the NCAA when selecting host seeds in Division III basketball. By considering factors such as geography, attendance, and school willingness, the NCAA can help maximize revenue potential while also keeping travel costs down.
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Frequently asked questions
The NCAA tournament selection committees build the brackets and decide which schools will host each weekend. While teams with higher regional rankings have a better chance to host, several factors go into hosting decisions, including geography, facilities, attendance history, revenue potential, and a school's willingness to host.
Region 1: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont. Region 2: New York, Pennsylvania. Region 3: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. Region 4: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
The seeding process for Division III basketball is not entirely clear, but it likely involves a selection committee that considers various factors, including team performance, strength of schedule, and head-to-head outcomes.
The First Four is the official start to March Madness. It consists of four play-in games: two between No. 11 seeds, two between No. 16 seeds, and the final four at-large bids. The winners advance to the traditional 64-team bracket.
Some seeding metrics used in Division III basketball include the NCAA Power Index (NPI), the Basketball Power Index (BPI), and KenPom ratings, which focus on offensive and defensive efficiency.
