Final Championship Update: "Eye of the Tiger"

I didn't have time to post this morning, but Championship Week is complete!  We've reached March Christmas -- Selection Sunday.  Between yesterday and today, even more top seeds lost before they should have:

• AAC 1-seed South Florida and 2-seed Florida Atlantic in the semifinals
• ACC 1-seed North Carolina in the title game
• Big 12 1-seed Houston in the title game
• Big Ten 1-seed Purdue in the semifinals
• Ivy League 1-seed Princeton in the semifinals

Today's song is Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," in honor of the Grambling Tigers' SWAC championship win, clinching the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Here's what happened in yesterday's and today's action and what we have to look forward to:

• In the AAC title game, 4-seed UAB toppled 11-seed Temple, 85-69, to clinch the Blazers' 17th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2022.
• In the ACC championship, 10-seed NC State stole a bid by beating 1-seed North Carolina topped, 84-76.  The Wolfpack will be playing in their 29th NCAA Tournament and second in a row.
• In the America East title game, 1-seed Vermont held off 2-seed UMass Lowell, 66-61, to clinch the Catamounts' 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and their second in a row.
• In the A-10 title game, 6-seed Duquesne held off 5-seed VCU, clinching the Dukes' 6th NCAA Tournament appearance and first of my lifetime.  Their last appearance was in 1977!
• In the Big 12 championship, 2-seed Iowa State dominated 1-seed Houston, 69-41.  The Cyclones will the be playing in their 23rd NCAA Tournament and third in a row.
• In the Big East championship game, 1-seed UConn easily beat 3-seed Marquette, 73-57.  The Huskies -- who secured the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament -- will be playing in their 37th NCAA Tournament and fourth in a row.
• In the Big Ten title game, 3-seed Illinois outlasted 5-seed Wisconsin, 93-87.  The Illini will be playing in their 4th NCAA Tournament and 4th in a row.
• In the Big West title game, shit got crazy, as 4-seed Long Beach State upset 2-seed UC Davis, 74-70.  The Beach (f/k/a the 49ers) will be playing in their 10th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2012.
• In the C-USA championship, 3-seed Western Kentucky topped 5-seed UTEP, 78-71. The Hilltoppers will be playing in their 24th NCAA Tournament and first since 2013.
• In the Ivy League title game, 2-seed Yale scored the last five points of the game and got a bucket at the buzzer to beat 4-seed Brown, 62-61.  The Bulldogs will be playing in their 7th NCAA Tournament and first since 2022.
• In the MAAC title game, 5-seed St. Peter's eked by 2-seed Fairfield, 66-63, clinching the Peacocks' 5th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2022 (when they became the first 15-seed to advance to the Elite Eight, beating Kentucky and Purdue on the way).
• In the MAC championship, 2-seed Akron beat archrival 8-seed Kent State, 62-61, on two free throws with five seconds left.  The Zips will be playing in their 6th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2022.
• In the MEAC title game, 4-seed Howard held off 6-seed Delaware State, 70-67.  The Bison will be playing in their 4th NCAA Tournament appearance and second in a row.
• In the Mountain West championship game, 6-seed New Mexico topped 5-seed San Diego State, 68-61  The Lobos will be playing in their 16th NCAA Tournament and first since 2014.
• In the Pac-12 title game, 4-seed Oregon dropped 3-seed Colorado, 75-68.  The Ducks will be be playing in their 18th appearance and first since 2021.
• In the SEC championship game, 4-seed Auburn crushed 6-seed Florida, 86-67.  The Tigers will be playing in their 13th NCAA Tournament and third in a row.
• In the SWAC semis, 1-seed Grambling slayed the dragon, beating 3-seed Texas Southern, 75-66, to earn the Tigers their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
• In the WAC semifinals, top seed Grand Canyon dominated 3-seed UT Arlington, 89-74, giving the Antelopes their 3rd NCAA Tournament berth and second in a row.
• Here is how all the bubble teams fared in their conference tournaments:
• Boise State (lost in Mountain West quarterfinals)
• Cincinnati (lost in Big 12 quarterfinals)
• Colorado (lost in Pac-12 title game)
• Colorado State (lost in Mountain West semifinals)
• Drake (MVC champ)
• Florida Atlantic (lost in AAC semifinals)
• Indiana State (lost in MVC title game)
• Iowa (lost in Big Ten second round)
• James Madison (Sun Belt champ)
• Kansas State (lost in Big 12 quarterfinals)
• McNeese (Southland champ)
• Memphis (lost in AAC second round)
• Michigan State (lost in Big Ten quarterfinals)
• Mississippi State (lost in SEC semifinals)
• Nebraska (lost in Big Ten semifinals)
• Nevada (lost in Mountain West quarterfinals)
• New Mexico (Mountain West champs)
• Northwestern (lost in Big Ten quarterfinals)
• Oklahoma (lost in Big 12 second round)
• Oregon (Pac-12 champ)
• Pittsburgh (lost in ACC semifinals)
• Princeton (lost in Ivy League semifinals)
• Providence (lost in Big East semifinals)
• Seton Hall (lost in Big East quarterfinals)
• South Florida (lost in AAC semifinals)
• St. John's (lost in Big East semifinals)
• Syracuse (lost in ACC second round)
• TCU (lost in Big 12 quarterfinals)
• Texas (lost in Big 12 second round)
• Texas A&M (lost in SEC semifinals)
• Texas Tech (lost in Big 12 semifinals)
• Utah (lost in Pac-12 quarterfinals)
• Villanova (lost in Big East quarterfinals)
• Virginia (lost in ACC semifinals)
• Wake Forest (lost in ACC quarterfinals)

Clinched automatic berths 

Here is your final list of the automatic bid winners (in parentheses is the NCAA tournament appearances for each school, including the bid just clinched and last NCAA Tournament appearance where applicable):

-AAC:  UAB (17; 2022)

-ACC:  NC State (29; 2023)

-America East:  Vermont (11; 2023)

-Atlantic 10:  Duquesne (6; 1977)

-Atlantic Sun:  Stetson (1)

-Big 12:  Iowa State (23; 2023)

-Big East:  UConn (37; 2023)

-Big Sky:  Montana State (6; 2023)

-Big South:  Longwood (2; 2022)

-Big Ten:  Illinois (34; 2023)

-Big West: Long Beach State (10; 2012)

-Coastal:  Charleston (7; 2023)

-Conference USA:  Western Kentucky (24; 2013)

-Horizon:  Oakland (4; 2011)

-Ivy League:  Yale (7; 2022)

-MAAC:  St. Peter's (5; 2022)

-MAC:  Akron (6; 2022)

-MEAC:  Howard (4; 2023)

-Missouri Valley:  Drake (7; 2023)

-Mountain West:  New Mexico (16; 2014)

-Northeast Conference:  Wagner (2; 2003)

-Ohio Valley:  Morehead State (9; 2016)

-Pac-12:  Oregon (18; 2021)

-Patriot League:  Colgate (7; 2003)

-SEC:  Auburn (13; 2023)

-Southern Conference:  Samford (3; 2000)

-Southland:  McNeese (3; 2002)

-Summit:  South Dakota State (7; 2022)

-Sun Belt:  James Madison (6; 2013)

-SWAC:  Grambling (1)

-WAC:  Grand Canyon (3; 2023)

-West Coast:  St. Mary's (13; 2023)