Michigan guard Olivia Olson, right, and coach Kim Barnes Arico, left, embrace in the closing moments of their win over North Carolina State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Sunday in Ann Arbor.(AP Photo/Al Goldis)

March Madness wasn’t for mid-majors this year.

For the first time since the women’s NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994, no programs from mid-major conferences advanced to the second round, leaving 32 teams representing the Power Four conferences and the Big East. In the men’s tournament, five mid-major teams made the second round.

“NIL at work,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo told The Associated Press. “There have got to be some players who helped mid-majors last year and excelled that are now on Power Four rosters because they could make more (money) by jumping ship. Typically you wouldn’t do that if it meant less playing time. That’s a big part of that.”

There were 23 teams in the first round from smaller conferences, and they went 0-23. Colorado State, a 12 seed, got the closest, losing 65-62 to Michigan State. The rest lost by double digits, including Southern, which fell by 69 points to South Carolina.

Michigan 92,

N.C. State 63

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson had all 27 of her points in the second half and Syla Swords bounced back from a slow start to score 26 and help second-seeded Michigan rout short-handed N.C. State on Sunday and earn a spot in the women’s Sweet 16.

The Wolverines (27-6) will play the winner today’s game between third-seeded Louisville and sixth-seeded Alabama in the NCAA Tournament Fort Worth Regional semifinals.

Michigan previously reached the Sweet 16 in 2021 and 2022.

“We committed to Michigan to do this,” said Olson, a sophomore, who was recruited by some of the top programs in the country.

The seventh-seeded Wolfpack (21-11) were without All-ACC guard Zoe Brooks, who had a protective boot on her right foot after being injured in Friday night’s win against 10th-seeded Tennessee.

That hurt against Michigan’s swarming and trapping defense that forced 22 turnovers, including 10 in the third quarter that helped the Wolverines take a 16-point lead into the fourth after a closely contested first half.

Minnesota 65,

Mississippi 63

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jump shot with 0.7 seconds left, lifting Minnesota past Mississippi 65-63 in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 21 years.

Battle, who finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, took the inbound pass near the paint and dribbled out along the baseline for more space before swishing the winner and landing on her back.

The No. 4 seed Gophers (24-8) swarmed their senior point guard in a frenzied celebration, before regrouping for the final possession. Tianna Thompson’s 3-point try for the No. 5 seed Rebels (24-12) from the top of the key on the other end hit the front of the rim and fell short.