March Madness never fails to get the blood pumping, does it? When Selection Sunday rolls around, you can practically feel the buzz crackling in living rooms, sports bars, and social media feeds. 

But for every joyous cry of “We’re in!” there's the heartbreak of deserving teams left out in the cold. As fun as it is to anticipate Cinderella runs and dream matchups, the annual drama wouldn’t be complete without the controversies — some teams always wind up getting the short end of the stick.

Once the brackets were finalized, the typical debates resurfaced: Did the committee undervalue certain mid-majors? Why did that bubble team from a power conference sneak in despite shaky metrics? Was there a bias toward name-brand programs? 

You get the idea — it’s a passionate mess of opinions, and we love it. This year those opinions have some serious merit with a whopping 14 SEC teams getting in the tournament on the men's side.

Biggest Men's Snubs

This year, the debate was especially heated around North Carolina, who managed to waltz in despite a less-than-stellar Quadrant 1 record. Understandably, the bubble teams that just missed — teams with more consistent showings — felt a bit burned. Let’s take a closer look at who those teams were and why they had every right to be miffed on Selection Sunday.

West Virginia Mountaineers 

(19-13, 10-10 Big 12)

According to 111 bracketology predictors that Bracket Matrix was following, West Virginia made the tournament in all 111 of them; the first unanimous selection to have not been selected by the committee. 

On the surface, their 6-10 record in Quadrant 1 games doesn’t jump off the page — but it’s nothing to sneeze at, considering the gauntlet that is the Big 12. The Mountaineers also boasted key wins against top-tier programs like Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, and Iowa State. When your highlight reel includes slaying giants, you'd think that counts for something.

Their combined 10-13 record in Quadrants 1 and 2 is respectable, too, especially in a conference known for devouring its own. Yet it all came crashing down with a first-round loss in the Big 12 tournament to Colorado. Momentum is critical in March, and West Virginia's bubble seemed to burst on that single result. Even with a NET ranking of 51, they might have slipped into the field if they'd managed one more statement win.

Of course, you can’t talk about the Mountaineers’ disappointment without mentioning coach Darian DeVries and the injury to his son, Tucker DeVries. According to whispers, the committee factored in Tucker’s questionable availability, possibly penalizing West Virginia on the assumption he wouldn’t be back to full strength.

Boise State Broncos 

(24-10, 14-6 Mountain West)

Boise State is no stranger to heartbreak when it comes to Selection Sunday, but this year might've been their toughest pill to swallow. The Broncos amassed a whopping 24 wins, a total that often puts a team in the conversation for at least a First Four slot, if not a sure-fire spot in the main bracket. They notched victories over tournament-bound squads like Clemson, Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, and Utah State, and they powered their way to the Mountain West tournament final.

However, as we often see, certain losses weighed them down. Boise State's Achilles' heel appeared to be Colorado State: three painful losses there. The biggest red flag on their résumé might have been a Quadrant 4 stumble against Boston College early in the season — a blemish that coach Leon Rice publicly lamented. In the end, an 8-8 record in Quadrants 1 and 2 wasn't enough to overcome the missteps.

Indiana Hoosiers 

(19-13, 10-10 Big Ten)

Seeing Indiana on the wrong side of the bubble is bound to spark drama. This is a storied program with a rabid fanbase that believes — sometimes rightfully — that the Hoosiers belong in the dance each and every year. 

This year, they certainly had their share of positives, including a late surge that included wins over Michigan State and Purdue, both top-four seeds. They also managed to go 15-0 in Quadrants 2, 3, and 4 combined, which is a feat not all bubble teams have on their resume.

So why the snub? Let’s start with a 4-13 record in Quadrant 1, which clearly doesn’t look too hot — though it’s still a notch above North Carolina’s mark. Then there’s their Big Ten tournament exit at the hands of Oregon, which didn’t do them any favors. Add in a shaky non-conference slate that included losses to Louisville and Gonzaga, and suddenly the committee had enough ammo to leave them out.

Ohio State Buckeyes 

(17-15, 7-13 Big Ten)

The Buckeyes chalked up six Quadrant 1 wins, which included tilts over Kentucky, Maryland, and Purdue. That alone would typically grab the committee’s attention, but the overall 17-15 record was a major red flag.

No team has ever punched an at-large ticket sitting just two games over .500. It’s essentially uncharted territory. The Buckeyes also limped to the finish line, dropping crucial contests to Indiana and Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. While an impressive set of metrics might intrigue stat geeks like myself, the selection committee clearly favored teams with a more balanced blend of wins, losses, and momentum.

UC Irvine Anteaters 

(28-6, 17-3 Big West)

It’s hard not to feel a little bummed out for UC Irvine. Rack up 28 wins and you’d think you’d at least get a legitimate look from the committee. The Anteaters were among the top defensive squads in the nation, ranking in the top 20 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency. Plus, they were road warriors, going 18-4 in games away from their home floor.

But mid-majors live on a knife’s edge. The Anteaters needed to secure the Big West’s automatic bid or post a near-perfect resume, because their margin for error was tiny. A crushing loss to UC San Diego in the conference tournament final ended those hopes. Their NET of 62 wasn’t enough to offset three Quadrant 3 slip-ups, and while they did log a respectable 1-1 mark in Quadrant 1 games, the committee was looking for another sign of a major upset that wasn’t there.

A Brutal Bubble

So what do these men’s teams have in common? Each suffered at least one or two stumbles at inopportune moments, and they were overshadowed by similar-profile squads that finished strong. 

Whether it was a Quadrant 4 slip-up or a conference tournament dud, these missteps scream “caution” to a selection committee looking for reasons to differentiate one bubble team from another.

Biggest Women's Snubs

On the women’s side, things might look a bit different, but the sting of being snubbed feels the same. Each year, the level of talent across women’s basketball continues to rise, and that makes for a very competitive field. Teams from mid-major conferences face an uphill battle — if you don’t score the automatic bid, you’re rolling the dice on whether your resume will impress.

This year, a few programs found themselves locked out, even though many fans and analysts believed they had done more than enough.

Stanford Cardinals 

(16-14, 9-9 ACC)

For the first time since 1987, the Cardinal aren’t dancing, and that alone is mind-blowing. Then again, things were bound to look different this year after Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer announced her retirement. Losing star players Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen didn’t help either.

Stanford dropped from a 30-6 record last season to a decidedly mediocre 16-14 this year. A first-round exit in the ACC tournament seemed to confirm what everyone suspected: this was not the Stanford of old. 

So while the name still carries a certain weight, the committee clearly decided that nostalgia can’t replace wins. For Cardinal fans, it’s a surreal moment — ending a streak that’s older than a lot of people reading this.

Virginia Tech Hokies 

(18-12, 9-9 ACC)

After a magical Final Four run in 2023, Virginia Tech was hoping to build on that success. They started well enough this season, giving the fanbase a reason to believe. But finishing 18-12 and dropping seven of their last eleven games isn’t the kind of ending that sways the committee. Their first-round flameout in the ACC tournament was basically the knockout punch to their dwindling at-large hopes.

With a NET ranking of 46, they sat on the cusp, but it just wasn’t enough to push them over the bubble. In the end, the committee saw too many question marks and not enough statement wins to give the Hokies another shot at March glory.

James Madison Dukes 

(28-5, 18-0 Sun Belt)

Anytime a team goes undefeated in conference play — especially at 18-0— you expect them to have a strong case for the Big Dance. James Madison not only breezed through the Sun Belt but also racked up 28 overall wins. Their heartbreak arrived in the Sun Belt tournament championship, where a loss to Arkansas State kept them from grabbing the automatic bid.

It’s not like the Dukes avoided competition either. They tested themselves against ranked foes like Texas, NC State, and Notre Dame, picking up some experience (and a few lumps) along the way. They did knock off solid teams like VCU, Villanova, and Florida, so there was enough on their resume to spark a debate.

For mid-majors like JMU, it feels like you have to be nearly perfect. One slip in a conference final, and you’re out. Their story exemplifies just how razor-thin the margins can be.

UNLV Lady Rebels 

(25-7, 16-2 Mountain West)

UNLV came into March with a regular-season Mountain West title, a gleaming 25-7 record, and a sense that this might be their year to reappear on the big stage. Avoiding bad losses is often one of the top commandments for bubble teams, and the Lady Rebels did exactly that. They even finished on a high note, winning nine of their final eleven games.

But the heartbreak arrived in the conference tournament’s semifinal, where they fell to San Diego State. Just like that, the automatic bid vanished, and the committee looked elsewhere for at-large contenders. It’s tough to figure out why a team as steady as UNLV didn’t make the cut. 

Quinnipiac Bobcats 

(28-4, 18-2 MAAC)

The Bobcats had a near-flawless run through the MAAC, finishing 28-4 overall and 18-2 in conference play. In most years, that’s a golden ticket to at least bubble consideration. Unfortunately, a conference championship loss to Fairfield dashed their hopes of an automatic bid. And as a mid-major, you can guess how that story ended.

It’s not like Quinnipiac didn’t face solid opponents outside the MAAC. They logged victories over Princeton and Harvard — both NCAA Tournament teams. Even Fairfield’s coach spoke up, saying Quinnipiac deserved a spot. But the committee apparently felt otherwise, leaving the Bobcats to wonder what more they needed to do.

So Close, Yet Still on the Outside

Across all these women’s teams, a few patterns emerge: the importance of conference tournaments, the difficulty of making a mid-major resume pop in the committee room, and the significance of the NET ranking. 

One or two losses at the wrong time can overshadow months of strong play. When you’re not in a power conference, you don’t get as many marquee matchups to stack your deck with. That means the margin for error is practically zero.