Selection Sunday is here.
HBCU conference champions in the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament bracket will once again face a difficult road through the field, according to various projections.
Before seeding and matchups are made official, here is where college basketball prognosticators predict where Black College basketball teams will be seeded after the official brackets are set.
As of Sunday morning, CBS Sports projects SWAC champion Alabama State to face Saint Francis in the First Four as a No. 16 seed. The winner will then play No. 1 seed Auburn in the West Region. Norfolk State — back in the NCAA Tournament field — is projected to play Michigan State as a No. 15 seed in the South Region first round.
Prior to Saturday’s conference tournament results, The Sporting News anticipated that Alabama State and Norfolk State would first have to navigate the tough road as No. 16 seeds.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN has Alabama State in the First Four versus Saint Francis and Norfolk State against No. 1 seed Florida in the West Region first round, according to his Bracketology formula.
Fox Sports has Norfolk State taking on ACC champion Duke in the first round.
TOMORROW is Selection Sunday 🔥 The most updated bracket forecast from @tsnmike ⬇️
Let us know what you think pic.twitter.com/T70P0nOSkr
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 15, 2025
The 2025 men’s NCAA tournament for March Madness starts with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, and continues through to the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
On the women’s side, SWAC champion Southern, according to ESPN, is projected to earn a No. 16 seed and play High Point in the First Four. Norfolk State, the MEAC automatic qualifier, will draw a No. 13 seed and is projected to play North Carolina in the Birmingham Region.
Her Hoops Stats has Southern slotted as a No. 16 seed in the field of 68. The Jaguars are projected to play Big Ten Tournament runner-up USC and National Player of the Year finalist Ju Ju Watkins.
The site also predicts that Norfolk State will be on the No. 13 line and face Baylor in the Spokane Region.
College Sports Madness has Southern as a No. 16 in the First Four against UC San Diego. The winner of that game is projected to play No. 1 seed UCLA
The website also suggests that Norfolk State will play Ohio State in the opening round.
The men’s tournament bracket will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET on CBS. The women’s bracket will be revealed at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
