8 reasons November’s ‘meaningless’ men’s college hoops games actually shape March

People often think November men’s college basketball games are just practice. Teams are still figuring out how to play together, and fans usually don’t watch unless two top teams are playing. But these early games actually matter a lot for the big tournament in March.

The people who pick the NCAA Tournament teams treat a game in November exactly the same as a game in February. A bad loss early on will stick with a team all season. At the same time, a big win early in the year looks great when it’s time to build the final bracket.

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These early games help a team prove how good they are before they start playing teams in their own conferences. The computer rankings, how tough their schedule is, and beating good teams all add up. Lately, we’ve seen that these early details can be the difference between making the tournament and staying home.

Now that the tournament has grown to 76 teams and the regular season is capped at 32 games, the opponents a team chooses to play is a huge deal. Every single game is a chance to move up or drop down.

Here are eight reasons why November games really do shape March Madness.

8. 76-team field changes what November is worth

The NCAA has expanded the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams for 2027. This changes the way teams should approach the regular season. Getting into the tournament is still the main goal, but the final position in the field will also matter.

Under the new format, the 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams will play in an Opening Round. On the men’s side, those games will take place on March 16 and 17. Automatic qualifiers will not face at-large teams in these matchups.

ESPN reported that the larger field could benefit power conferences the most. It may also create room for another mid-major team or two to receive at-large bids.

However, making the tournament will not guarantee a direct place in the main bracket. Teams could still find themselves playing an extra game before the traditional first round.

Miami (Ohio) provides a useful example from 2026. The RedHawks received an at-large bid but were treated as the final team in that group. They had to play in the First Four before losing to Tennessee, 78-56, in the first round.

With the expanded field, November results could help decide whether a team gets in and where it starts its tournament.

7. New 32-game cap offers more chances to collect Quad 1 wins

The NCAA increased the maximum regular-season schedule from 31 to 32 games starting in 2026-27. This gives programs another opportunity to improve their tournament résumés.

Teams can use the additional game to schedule a strong nonconference opponent. A late-season matchup against a ranked team could help improve a program’s NET position and Quad 1 record.

The change also aims to encourage more high-profile nonconference games between November and February. Duke, for example, played Michigan in February 2026 and will face Gonzaga in Detroit next February.

However, one extra game does not automatically help a team. A difficult opponent can provide a valuable win, but a loss can also hurt the résumé. The same applies to games against weaker teams.

Programs will have to decide whether the extra opportunity is worth the risk. Their scheduling choices could become important when the committee compares teams in March.

6. Oklahoma’s November loss shows how quickly things can go wrong

Oklahoma suffered one of the biggest early-season upsets on Monday, Nov. 2. East Texas A&M, picked last in the Southland Conference, defeated the Sooners 68-64 in Norman.

Oklahoma entered the game as a 28.5-point favorite. ESPN Research ranked the result as the second-largest upset by betting spread in 30 years of Division I basketball.

The loss was particularly surprising because Oklahoma had won 30 straight nonconference home games. East Texas A&M was also playing only its fifth season at the Division I level.

Oklahoma was among the last four teams left out of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Auburn, San Diego State and Indiana were the other three teams in that group.

ESPN bracket analyst Joe Lunardi warned that Oklahoma could not afford to end up on the bubble again. The defeat was an early setback, even though plenty of games remained.

Its final quadrant value is not yet known. That depends on East Texas A&M’s eventual NET ranking. Still, the result shows why teams cannot treat November games lightly.

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5. Difficult schedule without enough wins does not guarantee bid

Playing strong opponents helps a team’s tournament résumé, but the wins still have to follow. Auburn learned that lesson in 2026.

The Tigers had the second-best strength of schedule in the country. However, they finished with a 17-16 record and went 7-11 in SEC play. Their record against Quad 1 opponents was 4-13, while they went 7-15 in Quads 1 and 2 combined. Auburn also suffered a Quad 3 loss.

The committee had never selected an at-large team with 16 losses. Auburn became another example of how a difficult schedule cannot cover up too many defeats.

North Carolina offered a different example in 2025. The Tar Heels received an at-large bid despite going just 1-12 in Quad 1 games. Their Wins Above Bubble (WAB) ranking of 43 helped support their case.

The NCAA considers WAB, KPI and Strength of Record as results-based metrics. Torvik, BPI and KenPom are among the predictive metrics used in the evaluation.

ESPN has also reported the committee has increasingly leaned on résumé metrics, particularly WAB. At the top of the 2026 field, Duke held the No. 1 overall seed with 17 Quad 1 wins, the most in the country.

4. Miami (Ohio) shows the risk of a soft schedule

Miami (Ohio) finished the 2026 regular season with a perfect 31-0 record. Yet its tournament position showed why an unbeaten record does not always mean a strong résumé.

The RedHawks had a strength of schedule ranked 340th and a nonconference strength of schedule ranked 363rd. The Associated Press placed their schedule at 339th. They had no Quad 1 wins and suffered one Quad 3 loss in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Despite that record, the committee selected Miami as an at-large team. Chair Keith Gill said the RedHawks were the 34th team chosen among 37 at-large selections. However, they received the lowest seed in that group.

Miami’s NET ranking was 64. Oklahoma ranked 38th and Auburn 44th, but both missed the tournament. The RedHawks also ranked 37th in WAB.

A weak 2026 bubble helped their case. Yahoo also noted that Miami had tried to schedule power-conference opponents, but those teams refused. Two years earlier, Indiana State missed the tournament despite having a No. 29 NET ranking, the highest ever for a team left out.

Miami eventually lost to Tennessee 78-56 in the Round of 64. Its season showed that winning every November game is not enough if the schedule lacks quality opponents. A soft schedule can become a serious problem when the committee compares résumés.

3. Nonconference strength of schedule can decide selection debates

Conference games give teams similar opportunities to build their records. Nonconference schedules are different. Programs have more control over the opponents they face before league play begins.

That is why the committee often uses nonconference strength of schedule to separate teams with similar records.

St. John’s experienced this in 2026. The Red Storm finished 28-6 and won the Big East tournament by 20 points. Despite that strong finish, they received a No. 5 seed.

Committee chair Keith Gill pointed to the quality and depth of their nonconference results when explaining their position. ESPN reported that St. John’s went 7-4 in nonconference play, with Baylor serving as its best win.

Texas A&M faced a similar issue in 2022. ESPN reported that the committee struggled to overlook the Aggies’ 262nd-ranked nonconference schedule. The report also noted that nonconference strength of schedule has repeatedly helped separate the final at-large candidates.

For teams fighting for a tournament spot, November is an important chance to establish the quality of their schedules. A strong conference record may not be enough if the nonconference resume is weak.

2. November is where teams can build valuable Quad 1 wins

Quad 1 wins are among the strongest indicators the NCAA selection committee considers. Teams with several such victories and few Quad 3 or Quad 4 losses usually have a stronger tournament case.

The opponent’s NET ranking and the game’s location determine its quadrant.

Neutral-site games offer a useful opportunity. An opponent ranked in the top 50 can provide a Quad 1 win at a neutral venue. At home, that opponent would need to rank in the top 30.

This makes November tournaments and multi-team events valuable. Teams can face strong opponents on neutral courts and add important wins before conference play begins.

The quadrant rankings can also change during the season. A victory that starts as a Quad 2 win could become a Quad 1 win if the opponent improves its NET ranking.

Some teams have already picked up notable results in the 2026-27 season. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi called Notre Dame’s opening-week victory over Villanova in Rome the best résumé moment of the season’s first act. He also described Memphis’ neutral-site win over No. 18 Iowa State as a Quad 1 result.

These labels remain provisional because the first NET rankings have not yet been released. However, the games could become important when the committee reviews the final resumes.

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1. NET gives Game 1 same weight as Game 30

The NCAA’s NET ranking system does not give extra weight to games played later in the season. A team’s first game counts the same as its 30th game. There is no date-based adjustment.

The NET also does not use preseason rankings or results from the previous season. It is designed to evaluate teams for March Madness and is first released in December. This can make early-season rankings more unpredictable.

The system does not directly use margin of victory. Instead, it considers adjusted efficiency per possession, opponent strength, and game location. It also includes the Team Value Index, which gives additional value to road and neutral-site wins.

This means an early November loss remains part of a team’s résumé until Selection Sunday. Winning more games later can improve the overall picture, but the original defeat does not disappear.

For example, a team that loses at home to a low-ranked opponent may struggle to recover from that result. Even a strong February run cannot completely remove the damage.

The same rule works in a team’s favor. An early road win against a strong opponent can remain valuable throughout the season.

That is why November games matter so much. Teams do not get a fresh start when conference play begins. Every result becomes part of the record the selection committee eventually examines.

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