The NCAA women's tournament is overhauling how it seeds its best teams. Starting next season, the selection committee will slot the top 16 seeds based strictly on their overall ranking. Conference affiliation will no longer bump teams out of their earned positions.
Previously, women's NCAA basketball rules prevented the top four teams from a single conference from landing in the same region. That policy kept league rivals apart until the Final Four, but it also punished teams for playing in strong conferences.
Last season, for example, four SEC programs earned top-eight overall seeds. Still, the old guidelines forced LSU and Vanderbilt down in the bracket to avoid regional overlaps with fellow SEC teams.
A Massive Shake-Up for Women's March Madness Brackets
Now, performance alone determines placement.
Women's basketball committee chair Amanda Braun said the committee's detailed evaluation work and the work those teams put in justified keeping them in their true slots.
The change also sets up a clear split from the men's side, which will keep its conference-protection model. For next year's women's March Madness tournament, though, fans should expect early-round conference rematches from powerhouse leagues like the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12.
