College Hockey Insider by Mike McMahon

College Hockey Insider by Mike McMahon

NPI Tracker: Only four spots remain undecided for the NCAA Tournament

Plus: A bracket projection for this week, what the situation looks like at the bubble, and looking at the No. 1 seeds

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Mike McMahon
Mar 10, 2026
∙ Paid
Photo: North Dakota

On the heels of its sweep of Penn State, Wisconsin has joined the growing list of teams that have effectively punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers become the 12th team to secure a place in the field, leaving just four spots still to be decided with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

It’s worth noting that only eight teams have mathematically clinched bids. However, four additional programs fall into what I’d classify as Probable Locks — teams with a 95 percent chance or better of making the tournament. At this point, it would take something truly unusual to keep them out, such as a wave of conference champions emerging from below the cut line.

Also in today’s issue (#657):

  • A complete bracket projection for the week. This week’s projection represents one of the better-case scenarios for the NCAA from a geographic standpoint.

  • We also take a closer look at the race for the No. 1 seeds — which teams have already locked one up, and how the battle for the No. 1 overall seed is shaping up heading into the final stretch.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

And a sincere thank you to our premium subscribers — your support makes independent, in-depth college hockey coverage possible.

Now, let’s get into today’s newsletter.


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