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2025 March Madness Handicapping: Teams with Geographical Advantages and Disadvantages

by Joey House - 3/19/2025

March Madness geographical advantages Jalen Lake Colorado State Rams

With the Round of 64 just hours from tip-off, the NCAA Tournament is poised to explode into action. Games are scattered across regional sites nationwide, giving nearby teams an edge with shorter trips and roaring local crowds, echoing a home-court vibe. Conversely, teams traveling from distant corners might wrestle with exhausting journeys, time zone hops, and alien arenas, quietly shaping their fate.

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Importance and guidelines for picking a host site

Playing close to home in front of familiar fans offers a sneaky edge in the NCAA Tournament, often missed when penciling in brackets, as the top 16 teams (No. 1-4 seeds) snag geographical perks. The top four squads practically pick their regions—like Auburn landing in the South, setting up potential Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Atlanta, under two hours from home, plus a first-weekend stop in nearby Lexington, Ky. The rest of the top 16 get similar nods, with one caveat: teams can't play in a venue where they've logged more than three regular-season games, a rule likely nudging only Kentucky away from Lexington this year despite it being a host site for the opening two rounds.

Mileage Match: Winners and Losers

This year's NCAA Tournament field racks up a staggering 67,209 miles collectively, averaging 988 miles per team—a figure that clearly divides the bracket into mileage winners and losers. The winners include Duke (21 miles to Raleigh, NC), Louisville (78 miles to Lexington, KY), Robert Morris (124 miles to Cleveland, OH), Tennessee (175 miles to Lexington, KY), and St. John's (175 miles to Providence, RI), all enjoying short trips that promise loud support from their respective fans. The losers, meanwhile, are Liberty (2,783 miles to Seattle, WA), Maryland (2,759 miles to Seattle, WA), San Diego State (2,555 miles to Dayton, OH & Milwaukee, WI), St. Mary's (2,450 miles to Cleveland, OH), and Akron (2,430 miles to Seattle, WA), saddled with exhausting hauls that could drain them before tip-off.

First-Round Games with a Geographic Advantage

No. 4 Maryland (-10.5/150.5) vs No. 13 Grand Canyon

It seems someone on the selection committee has it out for Maryland, a top-16 team by seeding yet saddled with a grueling 2,759-mile trek to Seattle—the second-longest in the tournament. While fellow 3-seeds average a more manageable 1,140 miles, the Terps (and any fans tough enough to follow) face a haul that dwarfs most. Their opponent, 13-seed Grand Canyon, clocks in at 1,423 miles for the same matchup, setting up a battle where travel fatigue could loom large.

No. 5 Memphis (+1.5/147.5) vs. No. 12 Colorado State

Memphis also might suspect a grudge from the selection committee, tasked with trekking 2,296 miles to Seattle—the farthest journey for any 5-seed. As a 1.5-point underdog, they're the highest seed not favored to win, facing a daunting 12-seed Colorado State, which travels 1,253 miles for the clash. This classic 12 vs. 5 matchup looms even more menacingly for the Tigers and their fans with distance stacked against them.

No.2 Alabama (-23.5/165.5) vs. No. 15 Robert Morris

If the 15-seed Colonials hope to etch their name in the lore of March Madness, they can take comfort in having the 3rd-shortest trip to make at 124 miles. The 2-seed Crimson Time don't have a staggering distance to go at 765 miles, but they are tipping off at 12:40 p.m. EST, an hour ahead of their normal Central Time zone. These factors may not be enough to warrant an upset pick but could come into play regarding the 23.5-point spread, the 5th-largest spread in the opening round.

No. 7 St. Mary’s (-4.5/135.5) vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt

With San Diego State's play-in loss to North Carolina, St. Mary's 2,450-mile journey now ranks third-longest in the tournament field. The Gaels won't likely enjoy much crowd love either, stripped of underdog charm, while their opponent, Vanderbilt, cruises in from just 522 miles away in Cleveland, tilting the fan energy further against them.

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