Most college sports fans saw Thursday’s news that the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams. Eight additional teams will be added to what is currently the First Four, turning it into a 24‑team play‑in stage with 12 games across two days. The winners will join the 52 teams already slotted into the traditional first‑round bracket.
We already talked about what expansion means for both Ole Miss programs, and it’s still way too early to know which teams will actually benefit next season. But you know that won’t stop anyone from trying.
NCAA.com analyst Andy Katz posted his first 76‑team projection Friday morning, based on his initial Power 44 rankings for 2026‑27. Katz or his model must really like what Ole Miss has done this offseason. The Rebels show up at No. 39 in the Power 44 and land as a No. 10 seed in the South quadrant.
🚨 FIRST 76-TEAM BRACKET PREDICTION 🚨@TheAndyKatz makes his first bracket prediction for the 2027 tournament, complete with matchup projections for the new Opening Round 🔮 pic.twitter.com/hNeK8q7QDe
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 8, 2026
Again, it’s early. The last season ended a month ago. Ole Miss shouldn’t start booking hotel rooms in Pittsburgh just yet.
Still, this tells us two things about Ole Miss and the new tournament format.
First, it’s going to be hard for a middle‑of‑the‑pack SEC team to miss the field now. Second, if the bracket had been at 76 teams this past season, the committee would’ve had a real decision to make about the Rebels.
Maybe they get in. Maybe they don’t. Did they deserve a spot? Probably not, and adding eight more at‑large bids doesn’t change that much.
But the future looks better now for Ole Miss.
Full seed list from @TheAndyKatz ✍️ pic.twitter.com/fN4jvq9w83
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 8, 2026
Andy Katz’s Initial Power 44
1. Duke
2. Florida
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. Tennessee
6. UConn
7. Arizona
8. Arkansas
9. Texas
10. Michigan State
11. Vanderbilt
12. Virginia
13. Kansas
14. Houston
15. Louisville
16. Alabama
17. Nebraska
18. Iowa State
19. Purdue
20. USC
21. Gonzaga
22. St. John’s
23. Miami (FL)
24. Indiana
25. Missouri
26. VCU
27. Saint Louis
28. UCLA
29. Ohio State
30. BYU
31. Iowa
32. Texas A&M
33. North Carolina
34. Providence
35. Baylor
36. Wisconsin
37. Auburn
38. Xavier
39. Ole Miss
40. Marquette
41. Texas Tech
42. Kentucky
43. Maryland
44. New Mexico
