CINCINNATI — Xavier is going dancing!
The Musketeers are heading to the First Four of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament to face Texas.
The two teams will meet in Dayton on Wednesday. If Xavier beats Texas, they'll be the No. 11 seed and will face No. 6 seed Illinois in Milwaukee on Friday.
The last NCAA Tournament game Xavier played was against Texas in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2023 tournament. The Longhorns defeated the Musketeers 83-71.
Xavier clinched a bid from the tournament's selection committee after they blew their double-digit lead and fell to Marquette 89-87 in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. The Musketeers finished with a 21-11 record overall and a 13-7 record in conference play.
Entering Selection Sunday, many had Xavier listed among their "first four out" list. Throughout the season, Xavier only collected a singular Quad I win with the team's 59-57 victory over Marquette in the regular season, but they also avoided bad losses. The Muskie's chances at making it to March Madness were also bolstered Sunday by VCU's Atlantic 10 Tournament win and Memphis's American Athletic Conference Tournament win.
This is Xavier's 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The furthest Xavier has ever made in the tournament is the Elite Eight, with the team achieving the feat most recently during the 2017 tournament.
March Madness kicks off with the "First Four" from March 18-19. The Round of 64 will follow from March 20-21, the Round of 32 will take place March 22-23, the Sweet 16 is March 27-28, the Elite Eight is March 29-30, the Final Four will be held April 5 and the 2025 NCAA Championship is set for April 7.
