The 2026 men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments will remain the same, meaning expansion has been put on hold. How does it affect the future of March Madness?
No Expansion For 2026 NCAA Tournament
NCAA SVP Dan Gavitt on future expansion of the NCAA tournament. pic.twitter.com/LMNhaSWM3j
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) August 4, 2025
Expansion might happen down the road, but it won’t happen this season.
The 68-team format will remain the same for the 2026 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball championships. The decision was announced Monday after a meeting between the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, explained the news in a statement.
“Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships. However, the committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships,” Gavitt said.
The idea of expanding the NCAA tournament has gained significant interest. Though it won’t happen in 2026, expansion will inevitably be explored for 2027 and beyond.
Could NCAA Tournament Expansion Happen?
The only changes to the NCAA Tournament should be the following:
1. ALL AQs advance to Round of 64.
2. The last 8 at-large teams play in the First Four in Dayton."So let it be written — so let it be done!" – Yul Brynner as Ramses in The Ten Commandments circa… https://t.co/Jn3RGBjtQT
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 4, 2025
Why would college basketball want to potentially ruin March Madness by adding more teams?
One word: money. The men’s tournament is currently making over $1 billion per year thanks to its television deals with CBS and Warner Bros. With live sports dominating television viewership, it’s safe to say these networks would welcome more games to broadcast in the tournament.
Money is also a reason not to expand March Madness. Adding eight more teams to the men’s and women’s tournaments means creating more logistics for travel, revenue, and other in-arena expenses. Additional teams mean the NCAA would need to add more locations to play the games, adding another financial wrinkle.
The selection is already extremely polarizing. 76 teams means the committee would have to deal with more bubble teams, which will only create controversy. Some bubble teams that get in have weak resumes. You’re inviting more inferior resumes to the table by adding more teams.
Adding more games to the tournament will certainly excite coaches, who have a greater chance of playing in March Madness, and fans, who get a chance to watch more games.
In a society where leagues always believe that more is better, expansion seems inevitable.
