# NCAA contenders by conference

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [March 5, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136 "2013-03-05T23:53:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/1 "2013-03-05T23:53:31Z")

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Here are the # of teams IMO are alive for bids as of now:

America East-1  
Atlantic 10-6  
ACC-6  
Atlantic Sun-2  
Big 12-4  
Big East-7  
Big Sky-2  
Southern-3  
Big 10-5  
Big West-1  
CAA-1  
C-USA-2  
Great West-1  
Horizon-2  
Ivy-2  
MAAC-2  
MAC-3  
MEAC-2  
MVC-2  
MWC-5  
Northeast-1  
OVC-3  
Pac 12-7  
Patriot-2  
SEC-5  
Southern-3  
Southland-2  
SWAC-2  
Summit-3  
Sun Belt-2  
WCC-4  
WAC-5

Obviously way more than 68, but these are the contenders.

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**Author:** ![bbonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecb155/32.png) [@bbonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbonden)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/2 "2013-03-06T00:43:54Z")

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The Big Ten has at least seven contenders for bids (Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Illinois) and possibly eight (Iowa), depending on your definition of “contenders.” I think that it would take quite a lot for any of the first seven to miss the tourney, at this point.

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/3 "2013-03-06T00:51:55Z")

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My definition:

1)Winning conference record  
2)20 wins OR single-digit loses  
3)OR ahead of team with #2

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**Author:** ![bbonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecb155/32.png) [@bbonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbonden)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/4 "2013-03-06T01:47:06Z")

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> [@etv78](#):
>
> My definition:
> 
> 1)Winning conference record  
> 2)20 wins OR single-digit loses  
> 3)OR ahead of team with #2

I’m not sure that I understand what your are trying to accomplish, then.

Illinois and Minnesota are more likely to _make_ the NCAA tournament than Harvard or Princeton (each of which has, in round numbers, a 50% shot), and Illinois and Minnesota also are more likely to _win_ the NCAA tournament than either Harvard or Princeton.

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/5 "2013-03-06T04:39:26Z")

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**bbonden** -The NCAA tells us (i.e, lies) that they aren’t picking teams they think can win, merely who they deem deserving. My main complaint is that the 5 months leading up to conference tourney time is rendered moot for all but the BCS conferences.

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-contenders-by-conference/652136/6 "2013-03-15T00:01:56Z")

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Why don’t you pick a premise, set it up, define the terms, and ask a question, all in one convenient OP?