The Big Ten made history on Friday by finishing a perfect 8-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. No conference in NCAA Tournament history has ever produced more victories without a loss in any round of the event.
Previously, the best first-round records were a series of 6-0 marks posted by the SEC (1999), ACC (2004, 2015) and Big 12 (2009, 2022). Eight wins is also the most ever produced by a single league in the first round.
The record of eight total wins was equaled by the SEC in this year’s first round. However, the SEC simultaneously tied a record by losing five games in the first round after placing 14 teams in the field. The SEC also lost No. 11 seed Texas in the First Four on Wednesday.
While 50% of the second-round participants will hail from the Big Ten and SEC, their hefty representation is partially the byproduct of conference realignment. The Big Ten expanded from 14 teams to 18 for the 2024-25 season and added teams like UCLA and Oregon, both of which advanced to the second round.
But the Big Ten’s perfect record is nonetheless impressive and creates a debate over which league truly is the best in college basketball. The SEC unquestionably took the title during the regular season while posting a 59-19 against high-major opposition in nonconference play. That included a 14-2 record in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
But the Big 12 and Big Ten went a combined 14-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and both leagues appear to have legitimate national title contenders. One thing is for certain: the ACC will have no place in a discussion after Duke was the conference’s only team left standing following the first round.
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