How to Qualify for the NCAA Playoffs

The most notable NCAA playoffs take place over the holidays and in March, when the football bowl games and the men's basketball tournaments are played. The procedure to qualify for the bowl games follows an official formula, and the basketball tournament qualifications are determined by the NCAA's Rating Percentage Index (RPI).

Instructions

  1. Qualify for March Madness Basketball Playoffs

    • 1

      Win road games. The RPI used to calculate which 64 teams qualify for March Madness awards a factor of 1.4 points for each win away from home.

    • 2

      Lose away from home, if you have to lose at all--the RPI dulls the impact of a road loss by counting it at a factor of 0.6 points.

    • 3

      Avoid home losses. They hurt, counting against the RPI at a factor of 1.4 to 1. Wins at home are given a 0.6 factor, making up the discrepancy lost by awarding 1.4 points per road win.

    • 4

      Beat good teams. Seventy-five percent of the RPI is calculated based on what a team's opponents go on to do, with higher points being awarded to teams who consistently win against teams with high winning percentages.

    • 5

      Hope that the season-long effort is enough to get your squad in the top 64 of the nationwide RPI. If so, your hoops team will receive an invitation to play in the NCAA men's basketball playoffs.

    Qualify for a Bowl Game

    • 6

      Get into one of the five biggest bowl games (the Bowl Championship Series or BCS games) to take part in college football's playoffs equivalent, so-called "December Madness."

    • 7

      Snag one of the top two spots in the BCS Standings at season's end and advance to the National Championship Game.

    • 8

      Win the conference you're in to get a shot at a big-time bowl game. Place atop the ACC, Southeastern, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10 or Big 10 conferences and gain an automatic berth in the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl or Fiesta Bowl.

    • 9

      Sneak your way in by placing in the top 12 or 16 of the final BCS Standings and keeping your fingers crossed. The exact procedure involved in getting in this way is involved and complex, and contains many exceptions and special stipulations.