Today: New March Madness projections, Big 12 backtracks, Auburn's chaotic day, and transfer QBs to watch.

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MARCH MADNESS

2026 NCAA Tournament bracketology updated ahead of Friday's conference tournament action

As conference tournaments keep reshaping the bubble, the biggest drama entering the weekend sits right around the cut line. The No. 1 seeds seem clear, but the real pressure is on the teams fighting to stay out of Dayton or sneak into the field.

Projected 1-line

Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and Florida still look like the safest No. 1 seeds entering the weekend. Duke remains the favorite for the top overall spot, while Michigan and Arizona can still improve their positioning with conference tournament runs. Florida's late push has it firmly on the 1-line, and this group now feels more locked in than vulnerable.

Last four byes

Santa Clara, NC State, UCF, and Missouri are currently on the safe side, but none should feel comfortable. Santa Clara may have helped itself the most with a late push in the WCC, while UCF added another useful Big 12 data point this week. NC State and Missouri are now more dependent on their overall résumés after being bounced from their conference tourneys.

Last four in

Miami (OH), SMU, Texas, and VCU remain in the danger zone. Miami (OH) is the most interesting case after its unbeaten regular season ended before the MAC's auto bid, leaving the RedHawks exposed. Texas likely did enough to stay in the mix, while SMU and VCU still look like teams that could easily be bumped if bid thieves emerge this weekend.

First four out

New Mexico, Auburn, San Diego State, and Indiana are still chasing help. New Mexico may have the best chance to climb after opening the Mountain West Tournament with a strong win, while San Diego State is in a similar spot; and the two play head-to-head today. Auburn and Indiana are both more dependent on chaos elsewhere after getting knocked out of their respective tournaments.

See the Full Projected Bracket

NCAA BASKETBALL

Big 12 switching to hardwood court at tournament after complaints about LED glass floor

The Big 12's bold LED glass court experiment won't make it through championship weekend. After using the high-tech surface throughout the women's tournament and the first three days of the men's tournament in Kansas City, the league announced late Thursday night that it will switch to a traditional hardwood floor for the remainder of the men's event.

The conference debuted the Germany-based ASB GlassFloor as a headline-grabbing innovation, marking the first time LED court technology had been used for an official sporting event in the United States. The floor allowed for dynamic graphics and custom court designs at T-Mobile Center, but it also quickly became a talking point for the wrong reasons.

During both tournaments, players and coaches raised concerns that the surface was slippery. Some athletes said they adjusted to it, but the visual of players sliding on cuts and stops became hard to ignore as the week progressed. That ultimately led Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark to reverse course after consulting with the coaches of the four semifinal teams.

In a statement, Yormark said the move was made to give student-athletes "the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend," prioritizing player confidence and safety for the semifinal and championship rounds.

Kansas coach Bill Self said he thought the conference made "the right thing" by making the switch, even if he personally didn't think the issue was overwhelming at first. He noted that after watching games more closely, there were enough moments where players seemed to slide just enough for it to become a distraction. Self added that while the LED court looked "cool," he was glad the focus would now shift back to the games themselves. ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg echoed that sentiment, praising Yormark for prioritizing player safety in its biggest games after taking a creative risk.

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🚨Headlines

NCAA BASKETBALL

Auburn's bubble hopes take hit after chaotic day in Nashville

Auburn had an opportunity to play its way into the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Instead, the Tigers left Nashville with their March hopes hanging in the balance after a 72-62 loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.

For most of the afternoon, Auburn looked like it might grab the kind of win that could push it safely into the field. The Tigers led by 10 with just over 10 minutes remaining and had Tennessee on the ropes. Then everything unraveled. The Vols closed on a 31-11 run, including a decisive 20-0 burst, to flip the game and send Auburn home at 17-16 with no more chances to add to its résumé. Miami (OH) also lost in the MAC Tournament on Thursday, creating yet another bubble wrinkle. Previously-undefeated Miami was projected to take the MAC's lone auto-bid, but now they could steal an at-large bid that Auburn was already chasing.

The aftermath only made the day feel more chaotic. Bruce Pearl spent the final stretch fuming from the stands, first posting about officiating on X and then going viral for yelling at an official during Tennessee's rally. Former Auburn star Johni Broome piled on after the game with a blunt post of his own: "Some people didn't show up ready to play."

That left first-year coach Steven Pearl in an awkward position of publicly making the case for his team. Pearl fired back at the narrative that Auburn is on the tournament bubble, pointing to Auburn's No. 2 strength of schedule, marquee wins over Florida and St. John's, and a résumé he believes compares favorably to the rest of the bubble. Whether the committee agrees is another question, especially with Joe Lunardi now listing Auburn as the First Team Out.

And as if Thursday needed another wrinkle, Auburn's weeklong Queens subplot resurfaced, too. Queens coach Grant Leonard has been openly frustrated after alleging an Auburn assistant attended the ASUN Tournament to get an early jump on recruiting one of his players before the portal opens, something Steven Pearl later defended as permissible under NCAA rules. After Thursday's game, Leonard joked on social media that Bruce Pearl's viral outburst in Nashville was really directed at him. The strangest part of it all: Auburn beat Queens by 41 back in December, but now the Royals are safely in the NCAA Tournament while the Tigers are stuck waiting and sweating out Selection Sunday.

Read the Latest on Auburn

NCAA FOOTBALL

Spring QB Watch: 10 key transfer quarterbacks to monitor

Sam Leavitt, Darian Mensah, Brendan Sorsby

With spring practice underway, one of the biggest storylines across the country is how quickly new quarterbacks can change everything. On3's Pete Nakos broke down 10 transfer QBs who could swing conference title races and CFP hopes this spring, from proven stars stepping into playoff-caliber situations to big-name additions trying to return from injury.

The list includes LSU's Sam Leavitt, whose health looms large after a winding portal recruitment, Miami's Darian Mensah, who could keep the Hurricanes in the CFP mix, and Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby, who has the potential to elevate the Red Raiders into national-title contention. There's also a fascinating group of big-name QBs who hope to turn around their programs after lackluster 2025 seasons.

Pete Nakos has the full breakdown of which transfer quarterbacks matter most this spring, and why each one could shape the 2026 season.

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TRIVIA

Now here's a guy...

Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go.

I became Michigan's starting quarterback as a true freshman in 2004 and was only the second true freshman in program history to start a season opener.
I played with Mike Hart and threw to Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant, and Steve Breaston, then left Michigan as the school's all-time leader in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes.
I never beat Ohio State in four tries, but I ended my college career by beating Tim Tebow and Florida in the Capital One Bowl, where I was named MVP.

Answer at the bottom.

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