Stepladder Brackets Turn Conference Tournaments Into March Madness Prep

Conferences are increasingly using stepladder-style brackets to reward regular-season success and boost the odds that mid- and low-major teams can compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Belt leads with a seven-round ladder, where seeds like No. 7 can face multiple higher seeds, while top seeds get byes or easier paths; other leagues (WCC, AAC, Big Ten, MEAC) are adopting similar formats to protect strong teams, increase competitiveness, and drive revenue from advancing NCAA teams.