What Are NET Rankings in College Basketball? NET Rankings Explained

The NCAA introduced NET Rankings in 2018, replacing RPI as the primary metric in building the NCAA Tournament bracket.

Explaining NET Rankings in College Basketball

The NCAA replaced the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) with the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) to evaluate tournament résumés throughout the season.

The NET algorithm is composed of two parts: team value index (TVI) and an adjusted net efficiency rating. TVI is a result-based feature that rewards teams who beat quality opponents, especially on the road. Meanwhile, adjusted net efficiency accounts for strength of opponent, as well as game location (home, away, neutral). 

It is also worth noting all games carry the same weight. So, a game played in November means the same as a game played in early March.

The exact algorithm is unknown, and it isn’t 100% clear just how much weight the NET has when determining the field and seeds. But, it definitely is a piece of the puzzle for the selection committee. 

With that being said, NET rankings do play a major role in a team’s resume with the quadrant system, such as Quadrant 1 wins.

NET Quadrant Records

This is where the quality of wins and losses are organized based on game location and the opponent’s NET ranking.

• Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
• Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
• Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
• Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

For example, if Duke beat North Carolina on the road and North Carolina had a 74 NET ranking, Duke would be credited with a Quadrant 1 win. If Duke lost to Boston College at home and Boston College had a NET ranking of 77, Duke would then have a Quadrant 3 loss.

Quadrant 1 wins will be very important come Selection Sunday, while a bunch of Quadrant 3 and 4 losses could be bad news for any teams on the bubble.