NCAA Tournament to Maintain 68 Participating Teams in 2026
The NCAA Tournament, commonly known as March Madness, will remain at 68 teams for the 2026 season, but discussions about expanding the field to 72 or 76 teams for the 2027 season or later are ongoing.
On Monday, NCAA SVP Dan Gavitt announced that the Division I men's and women's basketball committees had voted to keep the tournament at 68 teams for 2026, citing logistical challenges to expansion in the near term. However, the committees are actively debating options for 2027 and beyond, primarily considering expansion to 72 or 76 teams.
Expansion interest is partly driven by the growth in Division I teams (now over 360 schools) and potential for increased television revenue, especially with new NCAA rules allowing direct payments to players. A main logistical challenge is fitting expansion into the existing tournament calendar, which currently starts after conference championships and ends before the Masters golf tournament, leaving little room for extra games.
NCAA president Charlie Baker, who spoke at the National Press Club in July, supports tournament expansion. Baker indicated that there is momentum toward a tournament expansion for 2027. However, he also stated that expanding the tournament for the 2025-26 season would be a logistical challenge. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey also supports tournament expansion.
Baker believes that expansion should not come at the expense of mid-major teams, as there are some good teams that don't make the tournament due to the current 32 automatic qualifiers. Gavitt did not rule out the possibility of expanding to 72 or 76 teams in 2027.
The 2027 Final Four is scheduled to take place in Detroit, and tournament committees may recommend a structure with up to 76 teams. Selection Sunday currently occurs two hours after the last tournament game ends and must finish by the Tuesday before the Masters.
In summary, while there will be no expansion in 2026, an increase beyond 68 teams could occur starting in 2027 or sometime thereafter, with 76 teams being a leading possibility under consideration. The 2027 Final Four could be the first in a potential 72-to-76 team format.
- The NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball committees are debating options for expanding the NCAA Tournament from 68 teams to 72 or 76 teams, with discussions potentially happening as early as 2027.
- NCAA president Charlie Baker has expressed his support for tournament expansion, particularly towards a structure with up to 76 teams, which could be a contender for the 2027 tournament.
- The main logistical challenge in expanding the tournament is fitting the extra games into the existing tournament calendar, which is already crowded, leaving little room for additional plays.
- Expansion of the tournament beyond 68 teams might provide more opportunities for mid-major teams, as there are good teams currently being overlooked due to the 32 automatic qualifiers in the 68-team format of the NCAA-basketball tournament.
