What range of mid-major schools would have a legit shot of an at-large bid this year if the schedule somehow is relatively normal? Seeing some early prominent bracketologists who don’t have an at-large team from even the AAC or WCC. — Gil C.
As a purveyor of fake brackets myself, I say this meaning no disrespect to my peers: Offseason bracketology is hilariously inane. Did anybody have Baylor and Dayton as No. 1 seeds last summer? San Diego State as a No. 2? Of course not. Let’s, you know, see the teams play and get some results before we start projecting the field.
Anyway, I’m not quite sure how to answer your question except to note that, outside of the six high-major leagues, only four conferences — the American, the Atlantic 10, the Mountain West and the West Coast — have been consistently producing at-large teams in recent years. (That the WCC had three bids lined up last year, all likely single-digit seeds, was a remarkable accomplishment). It’s becoming exceedingly rare for any other conferences to earn an at-large nod, though the OVC pulled it off two years ago. I would look to the Missouri Valley as one capable of doing it this season, with both Northern Iowa and Loyola-Chicago standing reasonable chances of making the field without winning Arch Madness. The AAC will surely place more than one team in, and the A-10, Mountain West and WCC all look like two-bid leagues, at the least.
Of course, that’s assuming there is a normal season and a normal NCAA Tournament field. If only.
