Alabama Basketball's Spot in June Bracketology Ahead of 2026-27 Season

A look at the Crimson Tide's projections in the new 76-team format, as Nate Oats and his roster begin training.

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats looks on against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Alabama is 139 days from tipping off its 2026-27 season at home against Sam Houston, and the college basketball world is already making projections for the NCAA Tournament.

That said, March Madness will be a bit different. The NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments have been expanded from 68 teams to a field of 76, as the DI Board of Directors and Board of Governors ratified the deal on May 7.

Alabama started training camp last week and ESPN's Joe Lunardi, plus CBS Sports' David Cobb and Jacob Fetner, have their minds on the Crimson Tide and the rest of college basketball's outlook in March. ESPN projected Alabama as a 3-seed in the South Region in its June bracketology draw on Tuesday, while CBS Sports placed head coach Nate Oats and company as the 5-seed in the West Region over the weekend.

ESPN's South Region

• 1-seed Duke vs. 16-seed Vermont/Bethune-Cookman
• 8-seed Auburn vs. 9-seed Wisconsin
• 5-seed Kentucky vs. 12-seed Clemson/Maryland
• 4-seed Houston vs. 13-seed UNC Wilmington
• 6-seed BYU vs. 11-seed New Mexico
• 3-seed Alabama vs. 14-seed Liberty
• 7-seed North Carolina vs. 10-seed Providence/Baylor
• 2-seed Michigan State vs. 15-seed Austin Peay/ETSU

CBS Sports' West Region

• 1-seed Houston vs. 16-seed Montana State/LIU
• 8-seed Auburn vs. 9-seed VCU
• 5-seed Alabama vs. 12-seed Grand Canyon
• 4-seed Texas vs. 13-seed Saint Mary's
• 6-seed Nebraska vs. 11-seed Oklahoma State/Providence
• 3-seed Virginia vs. 14-seed UC Santa Barbara
• 7-seed USC vs. 10-seed NC State
• 2-seed Gonzaga vs. 15-seed Vermont

So, how will the new NCAA Tournament format work?

For starters, the First Four will be replaced by a 24-team, 12-game opening round on the Tuesday and Wednesday that follow Selection Sunday. The 12 winners will make the 52-team bracket turn into 64 programs. Each of the 24 teams would not have qualified for the previous 68-team field.

The 76-team brackets will feature an automatic qualifier from each conference, along with the best at-large teams selected by the Men's and Women's Basketball Committees. The lowest-seeded 12 automatic qualifiers, as seeded by the committees, will play in half of the Opening Round games, while the other six games will feature the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams.

The additional bids mean 21 percent of teams have a spot in the NCAA's basketball postseason. Before expansion, championship access for basketball teams was at 18 percent, the lowest among major team sports.

Here's what the new bracket will look like:

NCAA Tournament 76-Team Bracket Format | NCAA

Alabama's 2026-27 Roster as of June 16

G Aden Holloway (pending legal matter)
G Preston Murphy Jr. (returning senior)
W Jaxon Richardson (freshman)
W Qayden Samuels (freshman)
W Tarris Bouie (freshman)
F Amari Allen (returning sophomore)
F London Jemison (returning sophomore)
F Keitenn Bristow (returning junior *pending redshirt*)
F Cole Cloer (NC State transfer)
F Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State transfer)
C/F Brandon Garrison (Kentucky transfer)
C/F Drew Fielder (Boise State transfer)
C Collins Onyejiaka (returning sophomore *pending redshirt*)

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