The NCAA men's basketball tournament has a low number of teams from western states this year, according to data provided to USA TODAY Sports by Stats Perform. Only 10 of the 68 tournament teams (14.7%) come from west of the Kansas border this year. This is due to the NCAA's attempt to maintain a geographical balance for postseason game sites, despite the sport becoming more entrenched in the Eastern and Central time zones. Factors such as realignment and increased competition in the Big Ten and Big 12, which have left zero power conferences headquartered west of metro Dallas. The future of the game out west is uncertain due to developments such as the implosion of the Pac-12 Conference in 2024. The NCAA's guidelines for geographic placement of teams in the tournament suggest that teams should be as close to their home region as possible to increase attendance and ticket sales. However, tournament game sites are set years in advance and there is only so much to do if only four teams from California earn bids from California.