First-time eligible school sees both teams in NCAA Tournament

UC San Diego Tritons head coach Eric Olen. Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

First-time eligible school sees both men's and women's teams in NCAA Tournament

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 9:44 PM ET

The 2025 March Madness bracket has finally been revealed for both the men's and women's tournaments.

One school has the rare honor of sending both of its teams into the national postseason: The University of California San Diego.

The Tritons men and women qualified for the Big Dance in their first year of eligibility. The school spent the last four seasons in a mandatory transition period after it made the jump to Division I in 2021.

As a 12-seed in the men's tournament, UC San Diego will face the Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan Wolverines in the first round.

That may seem like an incredibly intimidating matchup but the Tritons have proven themselves against stiff competition already, entering March Madness as one of just five Division I teams to win at least 30 games this year.

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One key stat to keep an eye on when deciding that matchup in your brackets: Michigan has struggled to limit turnovers this season while UC San Diego ranks second in the nation in forcing them.

The experts seem to be high on the program too. CBS Sports' Seth Davis predicted the Tritons will win at least two games and make their first appearance in the Sweet Sixteen in their March Madness debut.

"The Tritons (UC San Diego) ... They are going to the Sweet 16."

-- @SethDavisHoops says 12-seed @UCSDmbb is going to take down Michigan and Yale en route to a Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/zTQN3pN1O9
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2025

On the women's side, UC San Diego (20-15) will enter as a 16-seed and face Southern University in Dayton, Ohio as one of the First Four play-in games.

Their path will be a lot harder than the men's to say the least. If they earn their spot into the first round, they'll have to face UCLA — the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

It's quite easy to spot that the Tritons could become the story of the tournament if they find success in the early rounds.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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