Anonymous poll reveals college basketball coaches are in favor of NCAA Tournament expansion

More coaches voted in favor of expanding to 76 teams in a poll from CBS Sports

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Despite its reputation as one of the most exciting single-elimination tournaments in U.S. sports, there are some in college athletics who want to make changes to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

In June, the NCAA presented a plan to conference commissioners that would expand the men’s and women’s postseasons to 72 or 76 teams. The option to remain at 68 remains on the table. Expansion talks are typical for any collegiate sport that has over 360 Division-I teams competing for a spot in the postseason tournament, though the latest discussions come after some power conference commissioners openly endorsed the idea as a way to accommodate for the recent wave of conference realignment.

An anonymous poll from CBS Sports revealed that some coaches are in favor of expansion as well. In a poll of over 100 anonymous head coaches from two dozen leagues, 65% voted in favor of expansion (38% voted for 76 teams, 27% voted for 72 teams) while 35% voted to stay at 68 teams. 

The reasons for and against expansion varied based on the anonymous quotes. Some coaches who are against expansion reasoned that the extra spots would be awarded to “underachieving Power Five programs who've proven over four months not to be worthy." Others don’t want to mess with the tradition and excitement that the current 68-team field generates.

With that in mind, some coaches in favor of expansion envisioned a bracket that guaranteed the mid-major programs who typically earn a double-digit seed a spot in the 64-team bracket as opposed to having to compete in the First Four round in Dayton, which would go to the supposed “mediocre” power conference teams. One respondent even said that the tournament needs to be “more feasible for non-Power Fives to get an at-large” as a reason for expanding to 76 teams.

Early 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracketology projections show a record number of at-large bids going to power conference teams, with only one mid-major — Saint Mary’s — deserving of an at-large bid. Things are likely to change over the course of the season, though the NCAA Tournament is just one of many signs that the power gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is widening in college sports. Scheduling is another indication of that divide, as smaller schools have fewer opportunities to put together an at-large case because the high-profile teams aren’t available (or aren’t willing) to set up nonleague games in November and December.

As such, fewer mid-majors will stand out to the Selection Committee on Selection Sunday. 

The Gonzaga men’s basketball program routinely puts together difficult nonconference schedules to prepare and build for the rigors that come in March. The Bulldogs have been a 5-seed or better in the past five postseason tournaments, in part because Mark Few and company challenge themselves with top 25 opponents and loaded multi-team events on neutral site courts. 

“It’s just such a blessing to be involved in [the NCAA Tournament],” Few said on Selection Sunday after Gonzaga earned a No. 5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. “Everybody has a tendency to take it for granted. I get people running up to me, ‘I can’t wait for March Madness’ — they’re telling me that in July. I’m just like, ‘No, you got to earn your way into that, you don’t just get in.’ Obviously there were times this year when it didn’t seem like it might happen so … hopefully that was a good way to kind of, get us back level and set to really, really appreciate moments like this and to be involved in the greatest sporting event I think there is.” 

As discussions for expansion continue to surface, Few said he’s reluctant to the idea but that he’d continue to hear the other side of the argument.

“You don’t want to lessen the regular season,” Few said on Gonzaga Nation. “I understand what some of the thought processes are. There is great parity happening. It’s getting harder and harder to maybe choose the 68 [teams]. But at the same time when you go through the mock, well here’s who would’ve got in if we went to 96, it would just make the regular season not nearly as important and probably not very watchable a lot of times.”

“I’m very intent on listening to the side for expansion and having an open mind to it. But I’m very reluctant to jump all in on it.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few on expanding the #NCAA Tournament: “It’s such a great entity right now. You don’t want to lessen the regular season. I understand what some of the thought processes are … but it would make the regular season not nearly as important.” pic.twitter.com/bZTedjk3vS

— Gonzaga Nation (@GonzagaOnSI) June 21, 2024