How NCAA Tournament Expansion Would Have Affected Indiana Basketball in Each of the Last 10 Seasons

From bubble misses to early exits — here's how a larger NCAA Tournament field would have changed Indiana basketball in each of the last ten seasons.

Indiana Head Coach Darian DeVries during the Indiana versus Minnesota men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday evening, it was announced that the NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams.

The expansion is expected to be formalized and official within the next few weeks with the new 76-team beginning in 2027.

Indiana Basketball and NCAA Tournament Expansion: A Season-by-Season Breakdown

Let's turn back the calendar and pretend it is the year 2016. Tom Crean just made his third Sweet Sixteen and is entering his ninth season as the head coach in Bloomington.

If tournament expansion had begun a decade ago, how would history have been changed for the program?

1. 2016-2017

Mar 4, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Indiana won 96-92. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images

Tom Crean's final IU team finished the season 18-16 and just 7-11 in the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers were a three seed in the NIT and very likely would have still missed the NCAA Tournament, even with a 76-team field. In this scenario, Tom Crean is still fired, and Indiana moves on to Archie Miller.

2. 2017-2018

Nov 15, 2017; Newark, NJ, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Archie Miller reacts during the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Archie Miller's first team in Bloomington was bad with a capital "B". It finished only 16-15 and failed to make any postseason tournament.

3. 2018-2019

Indiana Hoosiers forward Juwan Morgan (13) rebounds the ball during the game against Arkansas at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington Ind., on Saturday, March 23, 2019. Uscp 74lwxwx35pv1do5pur5e Original | Bobby Goddin/For IndyStar

The second season for Archie Miller was a step up as Indiana improved to 19-16 (despite being only 8-12 in the Big Ten).

IU was one of the "first four out" and was a 1-seed in the NIT, meaning the Hoosiers would have been included in the expanded NCAA Tournament.

4. 2019-2020

Nov 25, 2020; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Archie Miller looks on from the sideline in the first half against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana was 20-12 and was included in nearly every expert's projected NCAA Tournament field before the Big Dance was cancelled by COVID.

With or without the expansion, the Hoosiers likely would have been playing in Dayton, and Archie Miller would have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.

Would that have done enough to ease some pressure heading into his fourth campaign?

5. 2020-2021

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Archie Miller reacts after a play during the game against Michigan State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. Cent02 7ellzpnx0zsnit1rhjs Original | Bobby Goddin/For IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Miller's fourth season was a disaster, as a promising start gave way to a horrific stretch of games that saw the Hoosiers lose seven of eight contests to close the year and finish at just 12-15.

Obviously, they were nowhere near any postseason berth, and tournament expansion would not have saved it. Archie Miller was fired and Indiana turned to legendary player Mike Woodson to lead the program.

6. 2021-2022

Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) gets instructed by head coach Mike Woodson during the second half of the Indiana versus Illinois men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Iu Il Bb 2h Tjd Woodson | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Woodson was able to keep key player Trayce Jackson-Davis in Bloomington and his first year as the head coach was a success with the team finishing 21-14 and making the tournament field.

7. 2022-2023

Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson, who played for Bob Knight, speaks about his influence on him and others during a press conference at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

For the first time since 2016, Indiana made the NCAA Tournament in two consecutive seasons.

Mike Woodson's second squad was 23-12 and managed to tie for 2nd in a logjammed Big Ten at 12-8 in the league.

The Hoosiers were a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament and won their First Four game before getting hammered by St. Mary's.

8. 2023-2024

Dec 6, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson reacts to a call during the second half against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

After reaching the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back campaigns, things began to go off the rails for Mike Woodson.

His team finished just 10-10 in the Big Ten, and they were only 19-14 and narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament.

If the field were expanded, though, that team won five-straight games to end the season before losing to Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament. In a 76-team field, they would have been dancing.

9. 2024-2025

Mar 13, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson talks with Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo (11) during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Despite serious concerns about Mike Woodson's effort level on the recruiting trail, the Hoosiers were still able to go 19-13 behind the efforts of Oumar Ballo.

They were again listed as one of the first four out and would have made an expanded field.

That would have been four made tournaments in four years for Mike Woodson, and it's impossible to envision a scenario where IU fires him.

10. 2025-2026

Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson (3) smiles as Head Coach Darian DeVries helps him get up from the floor during the Indiana versus Oregon men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Darian DeVries' first season in Bloomington was another narrow miss for IU as the Hoosiers sputtered to an 18-14 record.

Projections show an expanded field would have slotted the Hoosiers into a 13-seed play-in game in this year's NCAA Tournament.