The NCAA is considering the potential expansion of its March Madness basketball tournaments, with discussions taking place this week among committees for both men’s and women’s Division I basketball. While no immediate decisions or recommendations have been made, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball, Dan Gavitt, stated that options remain viable for the tournaments to either maintain the current format of 68 teams or to expand to 72 or 76 teams ahead of the championships in 2026 or 2027.
During the discussions, the idea of expanding the tournament gained traction following comments from NCAA President Charlie Baker. He indicated that increasing the number of participating teams could add significant value to the tournament. Baker expressed a desire to resolve this issue within the coming months, highlighting productive conversations with television partners such as CBS and Warner Bros, who have secured a deal worth approximately $1.1 billion annually through 2032.
The logistics of adding teams to the current structure, known as the “First Four,” were also a point of discussion. This series of four games, held on Tuesday and Wednesday during the tournament’s opening week, determines which four teams will advance into the 64-team bracket. Currently, two of these games feature 16-seeded teams that qualify through lower-ranked conferences, while the other two typically involve at-large teams seeded 11 or 12. For example, in 2021, UCLA advanced to the Final Four as an 11-seed, having also participated in the First Four.
The debate surrounding tournament expansion is not without its challenges. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey expressed skepticism about maintaining the current model. He cited the example of North Carolina State making a run to the Final Four as an 11-seed in 2023, suggesting that strong teams from major conferences should be given opportunities to compete. Sankey remarked, “You could go ask my colleagues in the [automatic qualifier] conferences what should happen, and I’m certain they want that split to continue for life. But you’ve got some really, really good teams … that I think should be moved into the tournament.”
Despite the ongoing discussions, any recommendations for tournament expansion will require approval from the NCAA’s Division I board, which is scheduled to meet again in August. As the NCAA navigates these considerations, the landscape of college basketball could be on the brink of significant change. The potential expansion not only raises questions about the tournament’s competitive balance but also its overall structure and financial implications in the coming years.
