The number of college basketball teams participating in the NCAA Tournament will remain at 68 in the year 2026.
The NCAA has announced that the men's and women's basketball tournaments will not expand beyond 68 teams for the 2026 season [1][2][3][5]. However, expansion to 72 or 76 teams is still being actively discussed for the 2027 season [1][2][5].
According to NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt, field expansion is not being considered for 2026. Instead, committees are exploring possible recommendations for 2027 [1][2][5]. NCAA President Charlie Baker has pointed out that the biggest obstacle to near-term expansion is logistics, as timing the tournament after conference championships and before other major sporting events like the Masters golf tournament is challenging [1][5].
Despite the logistical challenges, the NCAA has had "good conversations" with broadcast partners CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), whose TV deal extends through 2032, about the possibility of expansion and its value [2][3]. No concrete plan for how expansion would work yet exists, but speculation involves adding more at-large teams (likely from major conferences) at the expense of automatic bids from smaller conferences, especially considering the First Four format that was introduced with the previous expansion to 68 teams [3].
The current March Madness format has flaws, and Baker believes that expansion would provide more opportunities for deserving teams. He stated that adding teams could make the tournament more interesting, and future growth, potentially up to 76 teams, is a possibility for the 2027 championships [1][3].
The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011, introducing the First Four round. If the tournament were to expand to 72 or 76 teams, it would allow more teams in the 72, 76, 68, 64 best teams in the country a chance to participate. Selection Sunday happens two hours after the last tournament game ends and has to finish by the Tuesday before the Masters [1].
The NCAA will continue conversations on expanding the tournament to 72 or 76 teams, and any expansion will require figuring out how to put it in and make it logistically work. Widespread backlash from fans and prominent media members led to the decision not to expand March Madness for the 2026 season [1].
Sources:
[1] https://www.espn.com/march-madness/story/_/id/34691113/ncaa-expansion-march-madness-tournament-2027-68-teams-reports [2] https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-march-madness-tournament-not-expanding-beyond-68-teams-for-2026-season/ [3] https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2022/03/28/College-Sports/NCAA-March-Madness-Expansion.aspx [4] https://www.si.com/college/2022/03/28/ncaa-march-madness-tournament-expansion-72-76-teams-2027 [5] https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/28/ncaa-tournament-expansion-not-happening-2026-but-talks-continue-72-76-teams/7175463001/
- Despite the initial decision not to expand the NCAA basketball tournaments beyond 68 teams for the 2026 season, the NCAA is still actively discussing expansion to 72 or 76 teams for the 2027 season.
- The NCAA Tournament's potential expansion to 72 or 76 teams in the future could provide more opportunities for deserving teams, as per NCAA President Charlie Baker.
- Expansion of the NCAA tournaments, whether it be to 72 or 76 teams, would require logistical considerations due to challenges in timing the tournament after conference championships and before major sporting events like the Masters golf tournament.
