The NCAA women's basketball tournament is changing how it places its top teams in the bracket. Beginning with the 2027 tournament, the top 16 teams will be seeded in their true ranking regardless of conference affiliation, according to ESPN.
The current system allows conference affiliation to influence where teams are placed, meaning two teams from the same conference can be separated in the bracket even if the seeding committee ranks them close together. The new rule eliminates that protection for the top 16.
The change has implications for major conferences like the SEC and Big Ten, which in recent seasons have sent multiple top-tier teams to the tournament. Under the old system, high-ranked teams from the same conference could be kept apart until the later rounds. Under the new format, if two teams from the same conference are both ranked in the top 16, they could meet as early as the Elite Eight.
The adjustment applies starting next year, giving programs and conferences one full season to prepare for the new bracket structure.