Typically, if teams thrive in the regular season, they're rewarded in the postseason, gaining some sort of upper hand. Perhaps the selection committee thought they were doing so when deeming Houston the Midwest region's No. 1 seed in the 2025 men's NCAA tournament. However, location-wise, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein points out that the Cougars got shafted in the bracket.
Rothstein discusses the "miscarriage of justice" occurring as Houston prepares to meet No. 4 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16. The high-stakes clash will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, just 69 miles away from the Boilermakers' campus.
Houston must win a "pseudo road game to get to the Elite Eight," which ostensibly doesn't sit right with Rothstein. Is his dissatisfaction warranted or overblown? Let's discuss.
Houston is getting the short end of the geographic stick in the Midwest Region
This wouldn't be a discussion if Houston matched up with one of the other three possible opponents in this round. Clemson, McNeese and High Point are all 500-plus miles from Indy, so the Coogs having to go against Purdue is simply unlucky. Nonetheless, it doesn't change that a top-seeded school isn't "protected geographically," which irks Rothstein.
Not to mention, things won't get any easier for Houston if they defeat Purdue and advance. The Coogs will duke it out with whoever prevails in the showdown between No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kentucky. But as Rothstein mentions, the distance between Lucas Oil Stadium and the Wildcats' Rupp Arena is 188 miles. Moreover, the Volunteers' Thompson-Boling Arena is 359 miles from the Midwest's headquarters.
Meanwhile, Houston is over 1,000 miles away from Lucas Oil Stadium. So, moving forward, they'll be at a distinct disadvantage on their road to the Final Four. The Cougars won't only be accounting for formidable foes, but there will be a contingent of fans rooting for whoever they face. That's far from ideal, especially in March Madness, where the action is supposed to take place at a neutral site.
Yet, albeit in an unfavorable position, the Cougars are built to overcome adversity — or at least they should be. Houston is fresh off a Big 12 double crown and finished second in the final regular season AP Top 25 poll. They're on the top seed line in the Midwest for a reason, and hearing some louder boos than expected shouldn't change that.
Frankly, Houston was dealt a brutal hand, though it's not the first time we've seen something like this (nor will it be the last).
Grade: B-