The remaining steps are merely formalities.
For decades, sixty-four teams have chased a single championship dream through the NCAA tournament — a number that has come to feel almost sacred in American sports culture. Now, as conference realignment reshapes the landscape of college basketball and power programs press for broader inclusion, the NCAA is moving toward expanding both its men's and women's tournaments to 76 teams, potentially beginning as soon as the 2026-27 season. The change reflects not merely a logistical adjustment, but a deeper reckoning with who belongs at the table when glory is on the line.
- The NCAA is on the verge of its most significant tournament restructuring in decades, with 12 additional teams set to compete for a national championship as soon as next season.
- Power conferences have been pushing hard for more at-large bids, and the pressure of conference realignment — which has packed more elite programs into fewer leagues — is the real engine driving this expansion.
- The First Four preliminary round would balloon from 8 to 24 teams across 12 games, while the familiar 64-team main bracket would remain intact, preserving the tournament's iconic Thursday opening.
- Financial negotiations with major media partners remain the last meaningful obstacle, with sources suggesting the expanded format could still turn a modest profit despite higher operational costs.
- Multiple NCAA committees must formally approve the plan, though insiders describe the remaining steps as procedural formalities — an announcement could come within weeks.
Michigan's men's team had just claimed its first national title in over thirty years. The very next day, UCLA's women's program did the same. Both navigated the familiar 64-team gauntlet — but that gauntlet may soon look very different.
The NCAA is moving toward expanding both its men's and women's basketball tournaments from 64 to 76 teams, with the change potentially taking effect in the 2026-27 season. ESPN, citing sources familiar with the discussions, reports that the process is entering its final stages, with a formal announcement possible within weeks.
The structural changes are relatively clean in concept: the First Four preliminary round would grow from 8 to 24 teams playing 12 games, while the main bracket would remain unchanged, still opening on Thursday. The men's tournament would add eight at-large bids, slots expected to flow primarily to power conference schools currently on the bubble.
The driving force behind expansion isn't purely financial — though sources suggest the larger format could generate modest profit despite rising operational costs. The deeper pressure comes from power conferences, whose ranks have swelled through realignment, leaving more elite programs competing for the same limited number of tournament spots.
The NCAA has been measured in its public language, noting that no final decisions have been made and that multiple committees must still sign off. But sources describe those remaining approvals as formalities. What remains genuinely unsettled are the media rights negotiations, which will likely determine whether the expansion proceeds on schedule or encounters unexpected delays.
Michigan's men's basketball team had just won its first national championship in more than three decades. The very next day, UCLA's women's team claimed their own title. Both teams navigated a 64-team bracket to reach the mountaintop, but next season's path to glory could look substantially different. The NCAA is moving toward a historic expansion of both tournaments, growing the field from 64 teams to 76, according to reporting from ESPN citing sources familiar with the discussions. The change could take effect as soon as the 2026-27 season.
Expansion has been discussed within NCAA circles for more than a year, but the current momentum suggests the process is entering its final stages. An official announcement could come within weeks, though several procedural hurdles remain before any formal approval. Sources told ESPN that the remaining steps are largely procedural in nature, but media rights agreements still need to be finalized before the men's and women's basketball committees and other oversight bodies can move forward. NCAA officials have recently begun substantive conversations with major media partners about the financial and contractual terms.
The mechanics of the expansion are straightforward in outline. The First Four—the preliminary round that currently features eight teams competing across four games—would expand dramatically to include 24 teams playing 12 games. The men's tournament would gain eight additional at-large bids, slots that would go primarily to power conference schools that currently miss the cut. The main 64-team bracket would remain largely unchanged, still beginning on Thursday as it does now, with the expanded First Four games taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Financial considerations loom large, though they may not be the primary driver of expansion. More teams traveling and competing will increase operational costs, and the full financial picture remains unsettled. Yet sources indicated to ESPN that despite these rising expenses, the expansion could ultimately generate profit and produce what was described as a "modest financial upside." The real impetus appears to be pressure from power conferences seeking more at-large berths for their schools—a reflection of how conference realignment and expansion have swelled the number of teams competing at the highest levels of college basketball.
The NCAA has been characteristically cautious in its public statements. A spokesperson told OutKick that expanding the tournaments would require approval from multiple committees, including the men's and women's basketball committees, and that no final recommendations or decisions have been made. This language, while standard bureaucratic cover, masks what sources describe as a process in its closing stages. The remaining approvals are expected to be formalities, though the organization has not yet formally committed to the expansion.
What remains genuinely uncertain is the timeline for media rights deals and the precise financial terms that will accompany the larger tournament. These negotiations will likely determine whether the expansion moves forward as planned or faces unexpected delays. If the current trajectory holds, the 2026-27 season will mark the first time in NCAA tournament history that 76 teams compete for a national championship.
Notable Quotes
Expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time.— NCAA spokesperson to OutKick
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why expand now? The current 64-team format has worked for decades.
Power conferences have added so many schools in recent years that more teams feel they deserve a tournament spot. The expansion is really about giving those schools more at-large bids.
But doesn't that dilute the tournament? More teams means weaker teams in the field.
Probably, yes. But the NCAA's incentive is to keep power conference schools happy and to generate more media content. More games means more television inventory.
What about the money? Is this actually profitable?
That's still being worked out. Costs go up with more teams traveling and playing, but the sources say it could still produce a modest profit. The real money is in the media rights deals, which haven't been finalized yet.
So this could still fall apart?
Technically, yes. Multiple committees have to approve it, and media deals have to be signed. But everyone involved seems to expect it to happen. The hard part is done.