Minnesota Earns Top Overall Seed For 68-Team NCAA Tournament Hockey Bracket*

Minnesota is the overall top seed in the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and will be joined on the '1' line by Boston College, Union and Ferris State. The selection committee released its pairings Sunday, not long after the Gophers earned the #1 seed for the inaugural Big Ten (Six) Tournament.

Minnesota (25-5-6) will open tournament play on Friday in the West Regional. The Gophers will face the winner of Plattsburgh and Wisconsin-Stevens Point, two 16 seeds that play Tuesday night in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

Minnesota's road to Philadelphia could get considerably tougher after that, with No. 2 seed Notre Dame, No. 3 seed Providence and No. 4 seed Cornell all in the West.

Despite failing to advance to the Garden for the first time in a decade, Boston College (26-7-4) holds onto the top of the Northeast Region. The Eagles won the Hockey East regular-season title.

Union (26-6-4), the presumed ECAC champ, gets top billing in the East. Union will open on Friday against Division III Adrian.

Ferris State (27-9-3) is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest -- a region that includes traditional powers Wisconsin and North Dakota. The Bulldogs are the favorite to take home the WCHA crown.

First Four matchups involving bubble teams are Connecticut against Boston University and Canisius against Niagara.

Complete 68-team NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament bracket below:

West Regional (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

1 Minnesota vs. 16 Plattsburgh (III) / Wisconsin-Stevens Point (III) winner
8 Miami vs. 9 St. Lawrence
5 New Hampshire vs. 12 Merrimack
4 Cornell vs. 13 Colorado College
6 Bowling Green vs. 11 Dartmouth
3 Providence vs. 14 Alabama-Huntsville
7 Alaska-Anchorage vs. 10 Harvard
2 Notre Dame vs. 15 Army

Northeast Regional (Worcester, Massachusetts)

1 Boston College vs. 16 Babson (III) / Oswego (III) winner
8 Mercyhurst vs. 9 Lake Superior State
5 Northeastern vs. 12 Canisius / Niagara winner
4 Colgate vs. 13 Penn State
6 Maine vs. 11 Minnesota women's team
3 St. Cloud State vs. 14 American International
7 Denver vs. 10 Northern Michigan
2 Massachusetts-Lowell vs. 15 St. Norbert (III)

East Regional (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

1 Union vs. 16 Adrian (III)
8 Rensselaer vs. 9 Michigan Tech
5 Western Michigan vs. 12 Robert Morris
4 Vermont vs. 13 Holy Cross
6 Minnesota-Duluth vs. 11 Connecticut / Boston University winner
3 Michigan vs. 14 Sacred Heart
7 Clarkson vs. Brown
2 Quinnipiac vs. 15 Trinity (III)

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati, Ohio)

1 Ferris State vs. 16 Geneseo (III)
8 Nebraska-Omaha vs. 9 Air Force
5 Yale vs. 12 Massachusetts
4 North Dakota vs. 13 RIT
6 Ohio State vs. 11 Bemidji State
3 Minnesota State vs. 14 Princeton
7 Alaska vs. 10 Michigan State
2 Wisconsin vs. 15. St. Thomas (III)

* No, not really. Can you imagine?