2023-24 mid-major power college basketball rankings

As we approach the post-season tournaments for the 2023–2024 season, this is the second mid-major rankings for this season. In case you haven't checked out the previous power rankings for this season, let's examine who teams are ranked and why.

A large portion of college basketball fans are familiar with the teams competing in the Big East, Mountain West, Atlantic 10, and American Athletic conferences in addition to other teams that are not part of the Power Five conferences, such as Gonzaga and BYU from the West Coast Conference.

Some teams that are regarded as high-tier or upper-tier "mid-major" college basketball division one programs include Houston, UConn, and Marquette, along with the universities they represent from the non-power five conferences mentioned above.

Before digging further into the ideas and logic behind these Mid-Major rankings, it's critical to look at how programs transition to Division One basketball changed from the prior season to the current one. Regarding the NCAA, 363 Division I teams and 352 DI men's basketball tournament-qualified teams will be listed in the NET rankings. Only a very small percentage of these teams who are thought of as mid-major teams might not be included in these power rankings since they aren't qualified for the NCAA tournament, which begins later this month.

Some schools, like FAU, North Texas, and UAB, are no longer eligible for these mid-major power rankings as they were the previous season because they relocated from Conference USA to the AAC. This is a significant difference between the power rankings from the previous season and the one before it. More than 240 clubs are eligible to be included in these power rankings, as opposed to the 248 teams from the previous campaign.

These answers to any queries you might have when watching and reading these mid-major college basketball rankings are provided for individuals who are new to reading these rankings or have not followed these particular mid-major power rankings over the past two seasons.

Here are some responses to frequently asked questions concerning this particular college basketball mid-major rankings.

Why do these power rankings include only 23 conferences, one independent team, and most of the West Coast Conference schools?

Out of about 240 plus qualifying teams, why are some teams and 23 conferences included in these rankings but not other teams considered mid-majors? These rankings do not include nine higher profile and financially producing conferences: The Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big East, AAC, Mountain West, and Atlantic 10. The clearest and most logical justification for their removal from these mid-major power rankings is given below, along with thorough justifications and thoughtful examples.

The primary rationale is that, compared to the other 23 conferences, which are more likely to send just one team to the following 2024 NCAA Tournament, the nine conferences on the list receive greater media attention and coverage. Compared to other mid-major conferences, these conferences also have stronger and larger media rights agreements. Consequently, several teams from these conferences will probably be awarded bids to the NCAA Tournament.

For example, the Mountain West fielded four teams in the 2022 NCAA tournament, whereas the Big East fielded six. Two teams from the American and Atlantic 10 leagues played in the NCAA tournament in 2022. When choosing which teams to include in the rankings going forward, mid-major power rankings will adhere to these regulations and guidelines until the NCAA tournament potentially expands to 90 or 96 teams, or until a conference like the Western Athletic or the Missouri Valley gets multiple teams in the NCAA tournament in consecutive years.

Are the rankings below that have been chosen for these college basketball power rankings the only things taken into consideration when determining each team's ranking?

No, these rankings are mostly decided by teams participating in non-conference play, and they are somewhat dependent on the rating systems that will be covered in these mid-major power rankings. Defeating a traditional power five conference team on the road is given more weight in these rankings than, say, a team like James Madison defeating Kent State and Michigan State versus a more well-known team like Western Carolina, who has zero quadrant one wins and has a losing record against quadrant two teams.

The strength of the team's schedule is also crucial, especially if they played tough non-conference opponents when many teams found it difficult to secure a big win against a quad one or two opponent. Also, the team's ability to defeat top tier teams in their conference.

Are these college basketball rankings of mid-major power arbitrary and subjective?

It's true that there are no ideal or faultless power rankings. But because these rankings were created using specific, well-thought-out criteria, these mid-major power rankings stand apart from other college basketball power rankings. Every year, mid-major basketball programs and their current season performance are the subject of controversy and discussion among the media, supporters, and alumni of these universities. These mid-major team rankings are often difficult, contentious, and subject to scrutiny and discussion.