NCAA’s leadership and basketball committees are expected to finalize expansion of the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments to 76 teams shortly after the conclusion of this year’s tournament, Yahoo Sports reported on Friday.
Per the report, the new format would see 52 teams earn berths directly into what is currently the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the remaining 24 — 12 lower-seeded automatic qualifiers and the final 12 at-large teams — would play 12 opening-round games Tuesday and Wednesday. They would be held in the longtime First Four home of Dayton, Ohio, and at an additional site to determine which teams would advance to Thursday and Friday’s first round.
However, these details could also reportedly change as the NCAA continues to talk with its men’s tournament TV partners in Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, which have broadcasting rights through the 2031 tournament.
The report didn’t indicate how quickly expansion could be added, but it could theoretically come as soon as the 2027 NCAA Tournaments. But expansion “will happen” barring something unforeseen in the next few days.
It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.
The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, according to the report. However, it’s also something that NCAA president Charlie Baker has said he’s in favor of doing.
