Bracketology Today

Here's how the NCAA regionals might look if the brackets were released today, based on the Pairwise Rankings and a few switches to avoid conference matchups in the first round and keeping teams closest to their home base.

Quinnipiac's natural first-round game, if we could stay true to the PWR, would be No. 16 RPI. But since league games are forbidden in the first round, it limits the Bobcats options. We kept No. 14 Notre Dame close to home in Grand Rapids, meaning No. 13 Denver would be Quinnipiac's opponent. Tough game for the top overall seed, but, oh, the potential story lines. Quinnipiac athletic director Jack McDonald was hired from the same position at Denver, where he hired current Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky.

Yale lands in Manchester to face host-team New Hampshire. It's possible that's where they'll remain. But we swapped the Bulldogs out to Providence with St. Cloud State for attendance purposes. Manchester already has BC, Dartmouth and UNH. Providence has Quinnipiac and essentially three Western teams. Yale should give that regional a boost, especially with the potential of a Yale-Quinnipiac regional final. Imagine that!

PROVIDENCE
1. Quinnipiac vs. 13. Denver
8. Niagara vs. 12. Yale

MANCHESTER
4. Boston College vs. 15. Dartmouth
5. New Hampshire vs. 10.St. Cloud State

TOLEDO
3. Miami vs.16. RPI
6. North Dakota vs. 11. UMass-Lowell

GRAND RAPIDS
2. Minnesota vs. 14. Notre Dame
7. Minnesota State vs. 9. Western Michigan