Every year, as the tournament bracket is revealed, the internet goes wild. This year was no different.
March Madness is upon us. The lineup is finalized for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, and Selection Sunday provoked the usual reactions, causing 68 fanbases to celebrate or vent on social media. The discussions were predictably overwhelming.
The most contentious topic was the fate of the Miami Redhawks—referring to Miami, Ohio, not the one in Florida—who were reluctantly given a spot as a play-in team despite achieving an unbeaten regular season, a feat not seen since the 2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Debates raged for months over whether they deserved an at-large selection, which intensified when they finally lost in the MAC Championship quarterfinals. Their 31-1 record apparently didn’t impress the selection committee.
Rather than earning a slot in the main bracket, Miami (OH) must now contend with the First Four—a preliminary round pitting the lowest-seeded at-large teams against the weakest conference champions. Even so, the decision has sparked discontent.
Conversely, the committee’s exclusion of Auburn was widely welcomed by most, save for Auburn supporters. The War Eagles were controversially excluded after weeks of public lobbying by former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl—father of current coach Steven Pearl—for a team that suffered 16 defeats to surpass a 31-1 team. Observers noted the debate, deliberated on it, and ultimately agreed with the committee’s decision.
Beyond the Miami (OH) and Auburn controversies, the commencement of March Madness has resulted in numerous entertaining tweets.
For those who like a physical copy, printable brackets for this year’s Men’s and Women’s tournaments can be found at ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, The Athletic, USA Today, and the NCAA’s official website, as well as most local news sites.