Realignment and expansion have been all the rage in college athletics over the last few years, but after nearly three decades the butterfly effect of the Western Athletic Conference — yes the WAC! — expanding in 1990s still wreaks havoc on March Madness brackets everywhere.
How? Well, the WAC’s growth to 16 teams in 1996 disgruntled plenty of member schools, and by 1999, the Mountain West was born. In 2001, the men’s NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 65 to accommodate a new automatic qualifier. A decade later, 65 expanded to 68, a move that “preserved the character and integrity of what’s been created,” then-Big East commissioner John Marinatto said after coaches had pushed for 96.
Ever since that most recent expansion, these First Four teams have proved that while the “first round” begins on Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday bring to goods, too. In the 12 tournaments since its debut, the First Four has produced 12 teams that make at least the Round of 32. In 2023, multiple First Four teams did so.
It’s not March without brackets. Get your bracket pools ready now and join our men’s and women’s challenges for the chance to win big-time prizes!
| 2011 | (11) VCU | Final Four |
| 2012 | (12) South… |
