The NCAA selection committee always tries to downplay talk of conferences, and focus instead on individual teams. But for everyone else, seeing how the various conferences fare is a big part of the fun. Or disappointment, depending on how it goes.
Every year, you'll hear coaches say the same things about how tough their conferences are, regardless of whether that's quantifiably true. It's what they are supposed to say.
But in this NCAA tournament, the fates of two conferences in particular might be very much in the spotlight. The Pac-12 feels perpetually undervalued by media and fans in the rest of the country, and every year tries to rectify that.