Selection Sunday always produces celebration and heartbreak across college basketball, and the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket delivered both.
While 68 teams secured spots in March Madness, several programs that hoped to hear their name called were left out of the field. Among the most notable omissions were the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball and the Seton Hall Pirates men’s basketball.
Both teams entered Selection Sunday with realistic hopes of earning an at-large bid but ultimately fell short of the committee’s final cut.
Auburn Tigers
Auburn’s NCAA Tournament hopes came to an end after its loss to the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
Without the automatic bid, Auburn had to rely on the selection committee to extend an at-large invitation. That opportunity never came.
The Tigers finished the season 17-16 overall and 7-11 in SEC play while navigating one of the most difficult schedules in the country. According to KenPom, Auburn played the third-toughest schedule in Division I basketball this season.
The year presented challenges from the start.
After reaching the Final Four in 2025, Auburn lost five starters from that team. The program also experienced a leadership change when longtime head coach Bruce Pearl stepped aside before the season and handed the program to his son, Steven Pearl.
Despite the roster turnover, Auburn delivered some impressive moments during the season. The Tigers’ biggest victory came on January 24 when they defeated then-No. 4 Florida Gators men’s basketball in Gainesville.
However, Auburn struggled to maintain consistency late in the year. The Tigers lost nine of their final 12 games, a stretch that ultimately derailed their postseason hopes.
The absence from the NCAA Tournament marks Auburn’s first time missing March Madness in four years.
Seton Hall Pirates
The Seton Hall Pirates men’s basketball also came up short in their bid to reach the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Seton Hall finished the season 21-12 and made a late push to strengthen its rĂ©sumĂ©. The Pirates battled top competition in the closing weeks of the year, including competitive games against UConn Huskies men’s basketball and St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball in the Big East Tournament.
Despite those efforts, the selection committee ultimately left the Pirates out of the 68-team field.
One factor working against Seton Hall was the overall strength of the Big East this season. With fewer opportunities to secure marquee wins, the margin for error shrank significantly.
As a result, each loss carried greater weight in the committee’s evaluation.
The exclusion extends Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament drought to two seasons.
Selection Sunday debate continues
Every year, the NCAA Tournament selection process sparks debate over which teams deserved inclusion.
For Auburn and Seton Hall, the 2026 bracket announcement brought disappointment. Both programs showed flashes of tournament-level play during the season but ultimately fell just short of securing a spot in March Madness.
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