March Madness. It’s a whirlwind of buzzer-beaters, bracket-busters, and… serious travel.
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March Madness is a whirlwind of upsets, Cinderella stories, and for some teams, a whole lot of travel. As the 2025 tournament brackets fill out, we at Betway are taking a close look at the miles these teams will be racking up – because in the NCAA Tournament, travel fatigue is a real opponent.
We’ve crunched the numbers and analysed the current projected matchups and it’s clear that some colleges are facing a significantly longer journey than others.
Let’s dive into who’s racking up the most miles:
The Long Haulers:
Here are the top 5 teams who need to travel the most miles based on our data.
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Maryland: College Park to Seattle (2,752 Miles) – The Terrapins face the longest travel out of any team in the country ahead of their first-round game against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.
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Liberty: Lynchburg to Seattle (2,642 Miles) – Like Maryland, the Liberty Flames face a tough journey to Seattle where they face the Oregon Ducks who have to travel just 279 miles in comparison.
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Akron: Akron to Seattle (2,476 Miles) – The Zips face a tough task as they go into their first-round matchup in Seattle against the Arizona Wildcats as big underdogs.
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Memphis: Memphis to Seattle (2,217 Miles) – The Tigers make the 2,217-mile journey to Seattle to face off against the Colorado State Rams.
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UCLA: Los Angeles to Lexington (2,162 Miles) – UCLA round off the top 5 teams who must travel the most miles for their first-round games. However, the Bruins can take consolation in the fact that their opponents in the Utah State Aggies also have to travel a fair distance (1,653 miles) to the matchup in Kentucky.Â
 Women’s Tournament
Here’s a look at the top 5 teams that need to travel the most based on our data, ranked by distance:
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Washington: Seattle to Chapel Hill (2,700 Miles) – The Huskies face the longest journey, a 2,700-mile trek to North Carolina.
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Richmond: Richmond to Los Angeles (2,600 Miles) – The Spiders, who secured their tournament bid by capping off another historic season, will face No. 9-seeded Georgia Tech in the first round in Los Angeles on the campus of UCLA. The Spiders are heading out west for a substantial 2,600-mile trip.
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Utah: Salt Lake City to Columbia (2,100 Miles) – Indiana begins the NCAA Tournament Friday against the Utah Utes at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. The Utes will be crossing a significant portion of the country for a 2,100-mile journey.
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Oklahoma State: Stillwater to Storrs (1,500 Miles) – The Cowgirls are heading to the East Coast for a 1,500-mile trip to face the South Dakota State women’s basketball team which returns to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years!
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William & Mary: Williamsburg to Austin (1,600 Miles) – After earning the program’s first-ever berth to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the William & Mary women’s basketball team received word that they will take on High Point in the First Four on March 20, in Austin, Texas. A 1,600-mile trip sends the Tribe to Texas. Last year, William & Mary had a strong showing, and sophomore point guard Monet Dance was a key player.
 The Impact of Travel
We all know travel can take its toll. Jet lag, fatigue, and disruption to routine can all affect a team’s performance. For these long-distance travellers, the challenge is not just about the opponent on the court, but also the opponent in the sky.
Of course, travel isn’t the only factor to consider. Matchups, team form, and coaching strategy all play a crucial role in determining the outcome of games.
Methodology:
Projected Tournament Teams: After Selection Sunday we analysed the projected teams. Sources for these projections include:
The locations of the March Madness tournament sites were obtained from the NCAA’s official website. This study assumes that teams will travel from their university’s main campus. Distances are calculated based on driving routes, not flight routes.
Data is correct as of 19.3.25