NCAA proposes NCAA Tournament expansion model

New postseason model would expand the field by four to eight teams, according to reports

Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 and Elite Eight logo at midcourt before the game between the Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide in the finals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NCAA Tournament is one step closer to expansion.

On Wednesday, NCAA officials presented to conference commissioners different models that could expand the tournament’s field to 72 or 76 teams, according to numerous reports. If passed, the main 64-team bracket would remain intact while additional play-in games and at least one more First Four site would be included. The women’s tournament could follow suit as well.

The proposed changes to one of the most unique tournaments in U.S. sports wouldn’t take effect until the 2025-26 season.

The latest discussion surrounding NCAA Tournament expansion comes in wake of the NCAA’s landmark multi-billion dollar settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust case. Adding more postseason games to create more revenue could be a way to help offset the reported $2.8 billion in damages owed to thousands of current and former student-athletes over the next 10 years. Roughly $1.65 billion of that is from a reduction in school distributions.

Conference realignment has also greatly changed the landscape of college athletics. As the Big 12, ACC, SEC and Big Ten all add teams starting next season, there are concerns that there will be fewer bids to go around to the power conference schools.

“It’s [the NCAA Tournament] such a great entity right now,” Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few said on an episode of Gonzaga Nation. “For that first week or two, it’s the greatest sporting event out there.”

“You don’t wanna lessen the regular season,” Few said. “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. 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.”

The NCAA Tournament last expanded in 2011, going from 65 to 68 teams. The first iteration of the core 64-team bracket came in 1985 when it expanded from 53 to 64 teams.

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