Dick Vitale reveals 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks, March Madness upsets

The Big Dance is back, baby! Prior to the start of the First Four round of games Tuesday and Wednesday, ESPN broadcasting icon Dick Vitale revealed his personal picks for each game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including several intriguing opening-round upsets.

While Vitale went with mostly chalk in the first round, the 85-year-old sees a lot to like from double-digit seeds like 11 seeds VCU in the East Region and Drake in the West Region. Vitale appears especially high on 12th-seeded Colorado State out of the West, which he has advancing to the Sweet Sixteen before succumbing to No. 1 seed Florida.

Check out Dickie V’s personal bracket of integrity, including his pick to win it all, below and see how it aligns with yours:

SOUTH REGION

FIRST ROUND
(1) Auburn def. (16) Alabama State/St. Francis
(8) Louisville def. (9) Creighton
(5) Michigan def. (12) UC San Diego
(4) Texas A&M def. (13) Yale
(6) Ole Miss def. (11) North Carolina/San Diego State
(3) Iowa State def. (14) Lipscomb
(7) Marquette def. (10) New Mexico
(2) Michigan State def. (15) Bryant

Vitale doesn’t expect any big surprises here and went all chalk in the South Region’s Round of 64.

SECOND ROUND
(1) Auburn def. (8) Louisville
(5) Michigan def. (4) Texas A&M
(3) Iowa State def. (6) Ole Miss
(2) Michigan State def. (7) Marquette

Vitale ends the tournament’s first weekend with more chalk, though he does see Michigan and its dual 7-footers knocking off the Aggies of the SEC for his first upset in the South.

SWEET SIXTEEN
(5) Michigan def. (1) Auburn
(2) Michigan State def. (3) Iowa State

ELITE EIGHT
(2) Michigan State def. (5) Michigan

Vitale is especially high on the Wolverines and expects Michigan’s massive lineup led by 7-foot centers Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf to ultimately knock off No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the Sweet 16 before coming up short against Big Ten rival Michigan State for a trip to the Final Four.

EAST REGION

FIRST ROUND
(1) Duke def. (16) American/Mount St. Mary’s
(8) Mississippi State def. (9) Baylor
(5) Oregon def. (12) Liberty
(4) Arizona def. (13) Akron
(11) VCU def. (6) BYU
(3) Wisconsin def. (14) Montana
(7) Saint Mary’s def. (10) Vanderbilt
(2) Alabama def. (15) Robert Morris

It’s more Round of 64 chalk from Vitale in the East Region, with 11th-seeded VCU the lone exception.

SECOND ROUND
(1) Duke def. (8) Mississippi State
(4) Arizona def. (5) Oregon
(3) Wisconsin def. (11) VCU
(2) Alabama def. (7) Saint Mary’s

After advancing VCU to the second round, Vitale went back to trusting the seeding with the South’s Top 4 seeds all advancing to the second week of the tournament.

SWEET SIXTEEN
(1) Duke def. (4) Arizona
(2) Alabama def. (3) Wisconsin

ELITE EIGHT
(1) Duke def. (2) Alabama

Vitale expects a “tight, tense and thrilling” game between the East Region’s top 2 seeds before the Blue Devils seal the deal late against the high-powered Crimson Tide for a ticket to the Finale Four.

MIDWEST REGION

FIRST ROUND
(1) Houston def. (16) SIU Edwardsville
(8) Gonzaga def. (9) Georgia
(5) Clemson def. (12) McNeese
(4) Purdue def. (13) High Point
(6) Illinois def. (11) Texas/Xavier
(3) Kentucky def. (14) Troy
(7) UCLA def. (10) Utah State
(2) Tennessee def. (15) Wofford

It’s another all-chalk Round of 64 in the Midwest Region with no big surprises.

SECOND ROUND
(1) Houston def. (8) Gonzaga
(4) Purdue def. (5) Clemson
(3) Kentucky def. (6) Illinois
(2) Tennessee def. (7) UCLA

Once again, Vitale trusts the seedings and advances all Top 4 seeds in the Midwest to the second week of the tournament.

SWEET SIXTEEN
(1) Houston def. (4) Purdue
(2) Tennessee def. (3) Kentucky

ELITE EIGHT
(1) Houston def. (2) Tennessee

No surprises coming out of the Midwest Region as the top-seeded Cougars make clutch shots against the Volunteers en route to locking up their first Final Four bid since 2021.

WEST REGION

FIRST ROUND
(1) Florida def. (16) Norfolk State
(8) UConn def. (9) Oklahoma
(12) Colorado State def. (5) Memphis
(4) Maryland def. (13) Grand Canyon
(11) Drake def. (6) Missouri
(3) Texas Tech def. (14) UNC-Wilmington
(7) Kansas def. (10) Arkansas
(2) St. John’s def. (15) Nebraska-Omaha

Vitale saved his Round of 64 upsets for the West Region, where he has 11th-seeded Drake and 12th-seeded Colorado State knocking off Missouri and Memphis, respectively.

SECOND ROUND
(1) Florida def. (8) UConn
(12) Colorado State def. (4) Maryland
(3) Texas Tech def. (11) Drake
(2) St. John’s def. (7) Kansas

Vitale is clearly high on the Rams, who he has upsetting the Terrapins with “clutch free throws in the final minute” to punch Colorado State’s first ticket to the Sweet 16 since 1969.

SWEET SIXTEEN
(1) Florida def. (12) Colorado State
(2) St. John’s def. (3) Texas Tech

ELITE EIGHT
(1) Florida def. (2) St. John’s

The second week of the tournament is a return to chalk for Vitale, who expects Rick Pitino’s magical run to end at the hands of the SEC champion Gators.

FINAL FOUR

(1) Florida def. (2) Michigan State
(1) Duke def. (1) Houston

Vitale expects both Michigan State and Houston will give all they have to offer in the Final Four, but ultimately he envisions the Gators’ high-powered offense and the Blue Devils’ lockdown defense will win out, setting up an intriguing championship matchup.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

(1) Duke def. (1) Florida

In what he describes as “a matchups for the ages,” Dick Vitale knows the Gators will battle and take the Blue Devils to the brink, but Duke’s NBA-laden roster will utilize its “size and speed” to win its first national championship since 2015 for third-year head coach Jon Scheyer.