Women’s March Madness Bracket Tracker: Updated List of Automatic Bids to the 2025 NCAA Tournament
With the 2024-2025 college basketball season in full swing, teams across the nation are working hard to secure their spot in the NCAA Women’s Tournament—better known as March Madness. The road to the tournament is long, with conference championships playing a critical role in determining the final field of 68 teams. One of the most exciting aspects of March Madness is watching the bracket unfold, as automatic bids from each conference are awarded to the champions of their respective tournaments. As we look ahead to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament, here’s an updated tracker of the automatic bids and the teams earning their place in the big dance.
Understanding Automatic Bids
Automatic bids are granted to the winners of each of the 32 NCAA Division I women’s basketball conferences. These conference champions receive an automatic entry into the 2025 NCAA Tournament, regardless of their overall record or strength of schedule. In addition to these automatic qualifiers, 36 at-large bids will be awarded to teams that perform well throughout the season but fail to win their conference championship.
The automatic bid system adds an element of excitement to the season, as smaller programs can make Cinderella runs and secure their place in March Madness. Conversely, powerhouse programs must continue to dominate their respective conferences to guarantee a spot in the tournament field.
Updated Automatic Bids for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament
As the season progresses, several teams have already clinched their spots by winning their conference championships. Below is an updated list of automatic bids that have been secured so far for the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament.
1. Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Champion: Syracuse (2024)
The ACC has been historically strong, and Syracuse’s win in the conference tournament has secured their spot in the 2025 tournament. They will enter as one of the top teams in the nation.
2. Big 12 Conference
Champion: Baylor (2024)
Baylor, a perennial powerhouse in women’s basketball, captured the Big 12 title. Their automatic bid ensures their place in the NCAA Tournament, where they will likely be a top contender.
3. Big East Conference
Champion: UConn (2024)
UConn continues to be one of the top teams in women’s college basketball. After capturing the Big East championship, they earned a well-deserved automatic bid and are expected to be one of the favorites come tournament time.
4. Big Ten Conference
Champion: Iowa (2024)
With superstar players leading the way, Iowa captured the Big Ten title, securing their spot in March Madness. Their dynamic roster makes them a team to watch as they aim to make a deep run.
5. Pac-12 Conference
Champion: Stanford (2024)
Stanford remains one of the best programs in the country, and they showed their strength by winning the Pac-12 tournament. They earned their automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where they will be a top contender.
6. Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Champion: South Carolina (2024)
South Carolina’s dominance in the SEC has continued into the 2024-2025 season. With a win in the SEC tournament, they secured an automatic bid, making them one of the teams to beat in March.
7. American Athletic Conference (AAC)
Champion: Houston (2024)
Houston shocked many by winning the AAC title, securing an automatic bid to the tournament. Their victory is an exciting development for the conference and their program.
8. West Coast Conference (WCC)
Champion: Gonzaga (2024)
Gonzaga continues to assert dominance in the WCC, winning the conference championship and earning their place in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The Hunt for More Automatic Bids
As the regular season progresses, more conference tournaments will unfold, and additional automatic bids will be claimed. Teams such as Texas, Louisville, and Kentucky, among others, are vying for their own conference championships, and their performance in the coming weeks will determine if they can secure a coveted automatic bid.
Conclusion
The path to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament is shaping up to be an exciting journey, with several top teams already earning their spots through conference championships. As we move closer to Selection Sunday, the number of automatic bids will continue to grow, while teams on the bubble will need to perform well in the remaining regular season games to secure at-large bids. With so many talented teams and dynamic players across the country, the 2025 Women’s March Madness is sure to be a thrilling event.
