How does the play-in game seeding work?

[TheIowaHawkGuy]

Wasn't Minnesota an 11 seed last year? They didn't play in the play-in game. I don't understand how this works for 11 seeds. I've never watched these games before. Is only one 11 seed that comes out from it and a 16 seed? How do other 11 seeds not have to? Thanks.

 

[guffus]

There are 4 "play-in" games. Also referred to as first round games.

2 of the games involve 4 teams that are the 4 worst automatic qualifiers and those winners are 16 seeds in the second round.

the other 2 games involve the last 4 at-large teams to make the tourney. The winners of these games usually get slotted in a 11 or 12 slot in the second round. I am a little confused myself why one gets slotted as 11 and the other is a 12.

 

[Hawkzilla]

I don't recall ever seeing this happen with 11 seeds before. Huh. It's like "Well, we don't really like you enough to even give you a solid slot, so we'll watch you wage a battle to see if you're worthy of even being an 11 seed at all."

 

[Hawkeye32]

The last two at-large spots were a 11 and 12 seed this year. Some years they might be 2 11's or a 12 and a 13. It just depends on how good some of the automatic qualifiers are.

 

[Hawkeye32]

I don't recall ever seeing this happen with 11 seeds before. Huh. It's like "Well, we don't really like you enough to even give you a solid slot, so we'll watch you wage a battle to see if you're worthy of even being an 11 seed at all."

Happened last year

 

[guffus]

So are the 2 teams that play for the 12 seed both ranked lower than the two playing for the 11 seed? That can't be right.

Or is one of the teams in the 11 seed game ranked lower than both teams in the 12 seed game? That would be fair I guess