March Madness bubble watch one day before bracket is unveiled

We are one day from the 2026 NCAA Tournament being revealed, and there is still uncertainty when it comes to the bubble.

Conference tournament week is the final chance for teams to prove they belong in March Madness, and for the most part, squads weren’t taking advantage of the opportunities. But everything got flipped upside down when Miami (Ohio) suffered its first loss of the season so it won’t get an automatic bid. Now the bubble picture has a new member, making it a much more complicated race for the final spots in the brackets.

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Most teams are done and will have to wait until the bracket announcement, but there are a few still playing looking to strengthen their case − and possibly secure automatic spots to make it an even crazier race. Here is a look at the March Madness bubble in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology.

March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA Tournament bracket?

Texas

Quality wins: at Alabama, vs. Vanderbilt

Bad losses: vs. Arizona State (neutral), Mississippi State, vs. Mississippi (neutral)

You never want to go into Selection Sunday on a losing streak, and Texas is learning how uncomfortable it can make the situation. Losing the last two games of the regular season wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but falling to conference cellar dweller Mississippi in your first conference tournament game is. Texas has the best chance to make the field out of the rest of the bubble, but that doesn’t mean it will avoid playing in the First Four.

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Santa Clara

Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)

Quality wins: vs. Saint Mary’s (twice)

Bad losses: vs. Loyola Chicago (neutral), vs. Arizona State (neutral)

The West Coast Conference is looking like a three-bid league thanks to Santa Clara doing as much as it could without winning the tournament title. The Broncos needed to make the championship game to feel confident about moving up and they did that with a second win over Saint Mary’s. Santa Clara had a chance to beat Gonzaga but it was an impressive showing that put it in a comfortable spot as the most of the conference tournaments began.

VCU

Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)