11 Seeds Play in the First Four in the NCAA Tournament Because of How It's Set Up

If you've ever paid attention to the NCAA tournament, you likely know that the bracket is split into four regions, each of which is seeded 1 through 16. Since 2011, though, there has also been the First Four, a sort of play-in tournament in which teams play one another for a spot in the final bracket.

You might think that these play-in games would involve the lowest possible seeds, but in 2025, some 11 seeds were playing in those games, leading some to wonder how the teams are selected. Here's what we know about why an 11 seed can play in the First Four.

The First Four was first introduced in 2011, essentially as a way to slightly expand the tournament and get more games on television. There were a number of ways the NCAA could have decided to go with those First Four games, including one system where the lowest seeds fight for spots. That system might not have led to the most exciting games, though, so instead, they created the system we have today.

In that system, the lowest four automatic qualifiers face off against the four lowest at-large qualifiers for spots in the tournament, regardless of seeding. Automatic qualifiers come from each of the 31 conferences in Division I basketball. If you win your conference tournament, you're automatically in the tournament. At-large qualifiers come from the rest of the college basketball landscape, and are chosen by a selection committee.

As a result, higher seeds can theoretically wind up playing in the First Four, competing against other higher seeds simply based on whether they were an automatic qualifier or an at-large qualifier. Because not every conference in Division I basketball is equal, some conference champions are actually lower seeded than at-large qualifiers that hail from more competitive conferences.

These first round matchups were essentially introduced to create even more action inside of the NCAA Tournament, and the NCAA considered a number of options before landing on this one.

"Other options discussed during the committee's meeting in Chicago the last week of June were: the last eight automatic qualifiers -- the Nos. 16 and 17 seeds -- playing against each other for the right to be the 16th seeds; and making the last eight at-large teams playing for specific seed lines," ESPN reported.

"The compromise was this hybrid model which Guerrero said evolved out of many discussions with committee members and among the NCAA Division I membership," they continued.

"'There was no consensus,' Guerrero said. 'We selected a format that will break new ground. We're excited about the concept of the First Four. We think we've added value to the tournament.'"

What seems clear then, is the NCAA just picked a model and stuck with it. For more than a decade, it's been successful, which is why they haven't done anything to change it.