Thirty-one NCAA Division I men’s basketball conferences will crown champions over a nine-day stretch that begins with the Ohio Valley Conference tournament on Saturday, March 6, and comes to an end with five leagues — the Patriot League, Atlantic 10, SEC, American and Big Ten — all crowning their champions on Sunday, March 14.
Who will earn the automatic bid in each conference? ESPN.com’s college basketball experts — Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi — issued their picks below, with leagues listed in the order that tickets will be punched. Click here for updated Bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and Bubble Watch analysis from John Gasaway. Follow this link for the 2021 NCAA tournament dates, venues and complete schedule for each round.
(Also, remain on the lookout for ESPN’s Champ Week Challenge, which will begin March 7.)
Consensus picks:
American: Houston (unanimous)
ACC: Florida State
America East: Vermont
Atlantic 10: St. Bonaventure
Atlantic Sun: Liberty (unanimous)
Big East: No consensus (Villanova, Creighton)
Big Sky: Eastern Washington
Big South: Winthrop (unanimous)
Big 12: Baylor
Big Ten: Michigan
Big West: UCSB (unanimous)
Colonial: Northeastern
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Wright State
MAAC: No consensus (Iona, Siena)
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Norfolk State
Missouri Valley: Loyola Chicago (unanimous)
Mountain West: Utah State
Northeast: Bryant
Ohio Valley: Belmont
Pac-12: No consensus (Colorado, USC)
Patriot: Colgate (unanimous)
SEC: No consensus (Arkansas, Alabama)
Southern: No consensus (UNC Greensboro, Furman)
Southland: Abilene Christian
Summit: No consensus (Oral Roberts, South Dakota State)
Sun Belt: No consensus (Texas State, South Alabama, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina)
SWAC: Prairie View
WAC: Grand Canyon
West Coast: Gonzaga (unanimous)
