Selection Sunday is a wrap, and the madness is officially upon us! The brackets are set, the debates are rolling, and surprise, surprise (not really, though!) controversy is brewing. The SEC dominated the day with a record 14 of its 16 teams making the NCAA tournament, while the Big Ten (8 teams) and Big 12 (7 teams) followed suit. But you know what’s got fans really talking? Seeding. Bias. And, well, the usual dose of favoritism, especially when it comes to Cooper Flagg’s Duke.

We know the Blue Devils are dream crushers. They’re national title favorites, and they’re loaded with top-tier talent. Sure, the ACC was a mess this season (way down, in fact), but Duke didn’t just coast. They dominated. And because of all that, the Blue Devils locked in a No. 1 seed in the East Region. They’ll tip off against the winner of the play-in game between American and Mount St. Mary’s to kick things off. And they get to do it in Raleigh.

Unless we witness a historic No. 16 seed upset, Duke’s next stop in the tournament will be a showdown with either No. 8 Mississippi State or No. 9 Baylor in the Round of 32. Meanwhile, Auburn—THE top overall seed—is somehow the one facing a potential setup. The Tigers are headed to Lexington, Kentucky, for their first two rounds.

On paper, it’s no big deal, but things get sketchy considering that the No. 8 seed at that site is Louisville.

If the Cardinals take down Creighton in the first round, Auburn could find itself in a tough spot—going up against a team essentially playing a home game. And we all know how much playing close to home can impact a team’s performance. History shows that squads playing on their home court or in nearby venues often get a significant boost. That’s a brutal break for a No. 1 overall seed.

And, more than anything, there is this notion that Louisville is probably under-seeded, too. The committee could have easily sent them somewhere else. So, now, fans aren’t buying that this was just a coincidence. They are bashing the Selection Committee left and right on social media. 

Fans call out the NCAA as Cooper Flagg and bracket chaos takes over 

A fan started the string by saying, “Wait. Auburn is the top seed but may have to face Louisville in the state of Kentucky in the second round?” And the whole internet jumped in.  

One fan was quick to call it “Auburn hate.” Because, even in the regular season, Auburn’s schedule was said to be brutal. According to TeamRankings.com, they had the toughest schedule in the entire NCAA. And yet, they still managed a solid 28–5 record, even though they hit a rough patch, dropping three games in one week. 

But now this, a no. 1 seed getting tossed into what basically feels like a road game in the second round. Certainly, people weren’t happy. Then, one fan chimed in, “And Duke, of course, is safe on the East Coast.” Duke’s schedule this season had its challenges, sure, but no big deal when we compare. And now, look at their initial tournament path.

But you know Auburn and Duke might just cross paths again. The Blue Devils took down the Tigers on Dec. 4, but with Auburn sitting on 16 Quad 1 wins heading into the tournament, this matchup could be a whole different ball game.  

Then, as expected, another fan jumped in with the classic “LOL, exactly as expected by the NCAA 😂” reaction. At this point, no one is even shocked. The selection committee does what the selection committee does. And while North Carolina fans got their moment of relief, plenty of other teams were straight-up snubbed. West Virginia (19-13), Indiana (19-13), Boise State (24-10), UC Irvine (28-6), and Ohio State (17-15)—all left out, leaving fans scratching their heads yet again.  

And if all of that wasn’t enough, another fan pointed out the absolute mess of a seeding situation. Louisville is an 8-seed? Playing the 9-seed Creighton? And the winner gets Auburn? Someone said, “None of it makes sense.” Alternatives could have been just bumping Louisville up to a 6 or 7-seed to avoid an early clash with the top overall seed. Or, you know, just pairing Auburn with a different 8/9 matchup. 

And then, finally, the ultimate reality check. “Louisville loses to Creighton.” Boom. That’s it. Because, at the end of the day, all this outrage only matters if Louisville actually wins their first game. If Creighton knocks them out, suddenly, this whole controversy disappears into thin air. And, well, you can bet Tigers fans are hoping for exactly that.  

But the bottom line is March is here, chaos has already started, and this is exactly what we’ve all been waiting for.