March Madness replacement rules, explained: How NCAA will select new teams to account for COVID-19 withdrawals


Coaches have a lot of sayings to cover a lot of situations, because teams in every sport at every level must deal with so many variables. And that list of contingencies includes, now, for the first time in any of our lives, a global pandemic.

So what would a coach say about the NCAA plan, released Thursday, regarding the replacement of a team that qualifies or is selected for March Madness but is unable to participate because of a COVID situation?

Well, after first thinking, “Please, good gracious, do not let that be my team,” they would tell anyone listening: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

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The NCAA had to concoct a policy for this situation because it could happen. Of the teams currently expected to be No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds — Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State — only the Buckeyes have avoided their own COVID disruption during the regular season. All teams are hoping another disruption does not afflict them on the eve of the NCAAs.

If it happens, though, these are the procedures that will be followed, according to the NCAA:

How late can the NCAA replace a tournament team? 

The NCAA will make its final determination on replacement teams on March 16 at 6 p.m. ET. After that point, there will be no additional substitutions, and that includes if a team must withdraw after the tournament begins.

If a team is on the bracket and matched against an opponent that is forced to withdraw, the game will be declared a no-contest and the team that still is in the tournament will advance to the subsequent round.

What happens if an automatically qualified team must withdraw?

The affected conference will be able to designate a replacement team, based on the criteria it establishes in a memo that must be sent to the NCAA by Friday. If this occurs before the bracket is announced, the replacement team will be seeded into the field based on the nature of its accomplishments.

If it occurs after the bracket announcement in a one-bid league, the conference can designate another team, but that team must have met the criterion of seven consecutive days of negative tests among its primary traveling party. It then will take the position on the bracket that had been occupied by its conference partner.

What if it happens with a multi-bid league after the bracket is published?

The selection committee will identify the last four teams — from any conference — that were considered for at-large bids but not chosen and will rank them first through fourth.

If those teams are willing to be considered replacement teams, each will be available to join the field to substitute for as many teams as might be necessary. It will enter the bracket as a direct replacement for the team that is withdrawn.

“Since all four replacement teams would have been seeded as a First Four team had they initially been selected as an at-large team,” the NCAA’s announcement said, “it is assured their first-round opponent will not be put at a competitive disadvantage.”

The replacement teams will be asked to remain on campus and continue COVID testing while waiting to see whether they are offered the opportunity to compete in the NCAAs. If not, they will be eligible to enter the NIT as No. 1 seeds.

Why is there a difference between one-bid leagues and those with multiple bids?

The men’s basketball committee, which we call the “selection committee,” has stated that it wants every competing conference — remember, the Ivy League withdrew from the season — to be represented in the championship tournament.

Why not re-seed the bracket if a replacement team is necessary?

It wouldn’t be entirely unfair to say one reason is that it would wreck every office pool from Bangor to Walla Walla. The NCAA understands how important the bracket is to the popularity of the event.

But it’s worlds more important that competitors are not placed at a disadvantage because of another team’s withdrawal.

If, say, a No. 6 seed withdrew and a replacement team had to be inserted on the seed line it would have earned — in the First Four, probably as a No. 11 or No. 12 seed — just about every matchup in the field could be affected. If it happened near the replacement deadline, then all of those coaches would have wasted two days spent preparing for opponents they would not face. It would be a colossal waste of time and energy.

The essential element to seeding a tournament is this: creating the clearest possible path toward the championship for the competitors that earned it through performance.

If a No. 6 seed were withdrawn, that would mean only one team’s coaches would have to adjust: the No. 11 seed in that particular region. And in the second round, the No. 3 seed, which would be the team the bracket endeavored to protect, would face either that 11th seed or the replacement team that initially was considered not good enough to make it. So there would be no disadvantage there.



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