The voting turnout of Advance Local sports readers has been, well, elite.
Our NCAA Tournament mock bracket is down to the Elite Eight round after voting closed on Friday night. Five teams from Advance markets are still alive.
Voting is open for these regional final matchups through midnight on Sunday at PlaytheTournament.com. When you vote, you’ll also have a chance to donate to coronavirus relief through the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. (We take no commission on donations.)
Our East Region no longer includes No. 1 seed Dayton, indicating cleveland.com readers didn't care for the Flyers. Maryland, the 4 seed, pulled off the upset by garnering 51.9 percent of the votes.
Maryland will face 3 seed Kentucky next, a comfortable winner over 2 seed Villanova in a battle of the Wildcats. The winner advances to the Final Four.
Out West, oregonlive.com readers pushed Oregon to victory over top seed Gonzaga in the closest margin of the entire Tournament to date. The 4 seed Ducks got 51.4 percent of the vote. They'll take on 6 seed Michigan next, another upset winner. The Wolverines, covered by mlive.com, squeaked past 2 seed San Diego State.
The South Region featured a pair of upsets. Auburn, a 5 seed, continued its impressive run with a narrow victory over top seed Kansas. The Tigers topped the Jayhawks in the actual NCAA Tournament last season. Auburn's victory will pit al.com against nj.com, as 3 seed Seton Hall beat 2 seed Florida State.
The biggest upset of the Sweet 16 came in the Midwest Region. Rutgers, a 10 seed, stayed alive with a win over Big Ten foe Michigan State, the 3 seed. The Scarlet Knights will take on top seed Baylor, an easy winner over Wisconsin, next.
Maryland-Kentucky. Oregon-Michigan. Auburn-Seton Hall. Baylor-Rutgers. Those are the matchups that will determine our Final Four. This time, the players and coaches have no effect on the outcome. You, the fans, will decide.