The official 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket was unveiled Sunday night, with the Michigan Wolverines earning a 1-seed in the Midwest Region. They’ll take on the winner of Howard and UMBC on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. on CBS to kick off their journey to the Final Four and the National Championship Game.
If you’re reading this, odds are that you’re a college hoops fan and will likely fill out a bracket before all the madness ensues on Thursday afternoon. Everybody has their Cinderellas, as well as their favorites
to win it all. But one of the lead analysts on ESPN made a really, really bold prediction in his bracket, as Seth Greenberg has Michigan and Michigan State playing for the national championship.
Here’s what Greenberg had to say when explaining why he believes the Wolverines and Spartans will wind up playing each other in Indianapolis:
“I’ve got Michigan State, Jeremy Fears controlling the tempo of the game, (and) Houston (in the Final Four), disrupting Florida, turning them over,” Greenberg said. “I’ve got Arizona and Michigan (in the Final Four) — all of a sudden, I’ve got Michigan advancing in that game. Michigan State against Michigan, and then I’ve got Michigan winning it all. I’m really interested to see the postgame handshake.”
This would be an absolutely insane National Championship Game. While the rivalry history dates back to 1909, the Wolverines and Spartans have actually never met in the NCAA Tournament. There have been a few times over the years where it was a possibility, but it just never came to fruition.
I’ll say this — if the first meeting between these two hated rivals in March Madness is in the title game, I think the state of Michigan may implode. Can you imagine Dusty May and noted encourager of nut-kicking Tom Izzo squaring off in the final college basketball game of the season? And like Greenberg alluded to, all eyes would be on May and Izzo at the handshake line at the end of the game.
What do you think about this, and how would you feel if this prediction came true? Personally, I would hate to see Michigan vs Michigan State Part 3 for the national championship, but I’m curious how you guys feel. Tell me in the comments below if you would want to see this or not.
