NCAA Weighs Future of Basketball Tournament Expansion Amid Changing Landscape

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The NCAA has not yet finalized its plans regarding the potential expansion of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, leaving fans and teams awaiting clarity on the future format. According to NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt, a decision regarding expansion is not expected in the immediate future.

Currently, both the men’s and women’s tournaments feature 68 teams. There has been speculation about increasing the number of qualifying teams to either 72 or 76. However, Gavitt expressed skepticism about the timeline for a vote on these changes, suggesting any potential decision could be pushed to late spring, affecting future tournaments as early as 2026.

“It’s not taken in a lighthearted way at all because of the success of the tournaments and how important they are to college basketball overall,” Gavitt said. He emphasized the complexity surrounding tournament expansion, noting that logistical factors such as game operation and travel need thorough consideration. “Expansion, even at a modest level, is more complex than has been recognized and reported, because it is expensive,” he added.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the men’s tournament since its field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, while the women’s tournament reached 64 teams in 1994. The landscape of college basketball has dramatically evolved in recent years, influenced by mechanisms such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, conference realignment, and the transfer portal.

Gavitt noted that he is more open to the possibility of expanding the tournament fields now than he was a few years ago. “There’s no sport that is deeper overall and has more parity than men’s college basketball,” he stated. “There’s great basketball played at every level in men’s basketball right now. So I think it’s important to keep the tournament contemporary and relevant, based on what is going on in college athletics.”