Conference title games we need to see in men’s college basketball before 2025 March Madness

These are the teams you want to see battle for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

1. Akron vs. Kent State (Mid-American)

This has always been one of the most contentious rivalries in all of mid-major basketball, but things have been taken to another level in recent years.

In 2022, four key members of the Kent State team were suspended for the championship game against after video surfaced of them performing a profane “F—k Akron” song in the locker room after their win in the semifinals.

Akron, who was an underdog in the game before the suspensions, would go on to beat the Golden Flashes by 20 and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

Kent State would exact a measure of redemption a year later, topping the Zips in the MAC semifinals before blowing out top-seeded Toledo to win the tournament.

Then came last season. After a stunning run to the tournament championship game as the league’s 8th-seed, Kent State appeared poised for the sweetest of upset wins over its second-seeded arch-rivals. But disaster struck in the closing seconds as Julius Rollins — one of the players who appeared in the infamous locker room video two years prior — didn’t realize his team had the lead and intentionally fouled Akron’s Greg Tribble. Tribble made both free-throws and the Zips went on to face Creighton in the NCAA tournament.

Akron has dominated the MAC this season and is 16-1 heading into its regular season finale on Friday. With Kent State currently tied for third place, there is a very real possibility of these hated rivals giving us another jolt of March drama next weekend.

2. Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s (West Coast)

I suppose there are some people out there who might be growing tired of this. Those people are fans of other West Coast Conference teams. Or they’re losers. Those are the only two options.

Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga have met in five of the last six WCC tournament championship games, with the Zags winning four and the Gaels winning two. With Gonzaga heading to the new Pac-12 next season, Randy Bennett’s squad would love nothing more than to send their arch-rivals packing with a three-game sweep.

One of the wildest Championship Week stats out there is that Gonzaga has played in every WCC tournament championship game since all the way back in 1997. The only four WCC tournaments the Bulldogs have not won since 2008 have all come via championship game losses to Saint Mary’s, the most recent of which was last season.

In all, Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s for a conference tournament title has happened 15 times, all since 2004. That’s the most common conference championship game matchup in college basketball history (Duke vs. North Carolina is second with 14 meetings).

We need it. One last time.

3. UC San Diego vs. UC Irvine (Big West)

These are, without question, two of the best mid-major teams in the country. While the Big West has a number of other strong teams this season, any other conference tournament title game would be deeply unsatisfying.

UCSD would have a shot at the NCAA tournament with a loss to Irvine in the title game, but would be far from a lock. Despite being a respectable No. 63 in the NET, Irvine almost certainly needs the Big West’s auto-bid to go dancing.

The two teams split their regular season meetings, but neither game was particularly compelling. At least not on the court.

We need a rubber match classic on Selection Sunday Eve.

4. Utah Valley vs. Grand Canyon (WAC)

This is a no-brainer.

The two teams have a combined three conference losses, they both have more than 20 overall wins, and at the moment they are the only two teams in the WAC with league records above .500.

There are times when a football-style conference championship game would serve a better purpose than an all-out tournament, and this is one of those times.

5. Omaha vs. St. Thomas (Summit League)

Yes, St. Thomas is ineligible to make the NCAA tournament, but this would still be appointment television.

The Tommies have kind of owned Omaha since making the jump to D-I, but the two teams split their regular season meetings, with the home team winning both games by 11 points. These are two of the highest-scoring teams at the mid-major level and they are pretty clearly the class of the Summit League this year. We need round three.

BONUS: Southeast Missouri State vs. SIU-Edwardsville (Ohio Valley)

They are the two best teams in their conference, and they hate each other.

That checks both major boxes that we’re looking for here.