Miami (OH) sparks college basketball's most heated debate with undefeated season

The Miami (OH) RedHawks finished their 2025-26 regular season undefeated at 31-0 overall and 18-0 in conference. They are the first MAC team in conference history to finish a regular season undefeated. They are only the third team in conference history to finish their conference schedule undefeated.

Miami's NCAA Tournament viability has been debated. The idea first gained momentum on ESPN’s First Take. Former Duke star Jay Williams made the argument the RedHawks need to at least make their conference championship game to secure an NCAA bid.

Stephen A Smith significantly disagreed with Williams. “There is no reason on God’s green earth, why a team that goes 30-0, only the fourth team in 35 years to do so, can’t make a field of one of sixty-eight,” Smith said. To Smith’s later point, if Miami of Ohio doesn’t get in, regardless of the MAC Tournament, then the regular season does not matter.

In a world that includes tremendous NCAA moments from Valparaiso, George Mason, Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Iowa and Weber State, we cannot entertain excluding an undefeated team because of a strength of schedule concern.

Advances metrics cannot outweigh the wins

There is a sports idiom that applies here. You can only worry about the teams in front of you. Miami of Ohio is a MAC school. You can count on one hand the number of times you remember a MAC school playing a Power 4 school recently and most of those were in the NCAA Tournament.

The Redhawks had the 315^th worst strength of schedule. Old Dominion, Trinity, Air Force, Mercyhurst, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, UNC Greensboro, IU East, Maine, UNC Ashville, E. Kentucky, Wright St constitute their out of conference schedule. While none of those teams will impress on a national level, none of that matters.

Strength of schedule and other advanced metrics are important when historical benchmarks are not involved. If Miami of Ohio went 26-5 and was not undefeated in conference, we could make the strength of schedule argument.

An at large bid, even if they don’t win the MAC Tournament, is a reward for going undefeated. The point is would they make the tournament if the committee met today? Yes. Zero hesitation, no discussion needed. Where they get seeded is a different conversation entirely.

This debate defies historical precedent

The problem with the suggestion that Miami of Ohio isn’t a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, is it would be the first time in 31 years that has been the case.

The NCAA Tournament thrives on the “Cinderella effect”. To exclude Miami of Ohio would create a dynamic that suggests the NCAA Tournament is becoming a Power 4 Tournament.

On Monday, Jon Steinbrecher, the MAC Commissioner conducted an interview with an Ohio radio station 92.3 the Fan that should all but settle this aspect. The new landscape of college athletics has fans and pundits thinking everything must be overanalyzed. The NCAA Tournament is not the college football playoff. There are 68 spots to fill.

“Since 1985 there has not been a team with two losses or less that has never made the Tournament,” Steinbrecher said. “You can talk about all the strength of schedule and wins above the bubble and all this other stuff, but at the end of the day, it comes down to W’s and L’s.”

This is the crux of the argument. Does Strength of Schedule, Quality Wins, Wins Above the Bubble, Net Rankings, Quadrant Wins outweigh 31-0? The answer should be rather simple. No. Those factors listed, again, can help determine seeding, but there should be no reality of if Miami of Ohio makes the field of 68.

Can they be punished for factors beyond their control

As previously reported, Miami of Ohio attempted to schedule tougher opponents and were denied. Begging the question, should they be penalized for Strength of Schedule when you need two to tango?

According to that report, Miami of Ohio attempted to schedule: Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Marquette, Kansas, Ohio State and BYU. Wins or even competitive losses to any of those teams would’ve also quelled this debate. You can only worry about the teams in front of you and better teams with higher Net Ratings and KenPom scores simply declined.

There should be no debate on whether or not Miami of Ohio has done enough to earn one of the 68 spots. Play-in games should also be off the table. The Redhawks by going 31-0 have earned the right to have a seed in the Tournament.

What that seed ends up being, remains debatable. However, based on the historical relevance, a 15, 16 or a play-in game still feels disrespectful. Considering what they accomplished. Making the Tournament as an at large bid even if they don’t with the MAC should be almost automatic.  

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