Bill Self Voices Support for Expanding NCAA Tournament Field

Kansas legend Bill Self and other Big 12 coaches reportedly support the expansion of the NCAA Tournament.

Feb 24, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self, like many old-school coaches in the NCAA, is finding ways to adapt to the new landscape of college basketball.

At this week’s Big 12 meetings in Orlando, the Hall of Famer made his stance clear on a pressing subject.

According to a report from KU Sports writer Henry Greenstein, Self shared that coaches in the conference would be in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament.

Bill Self is speaking from Big 12 meetings in Orlando. He said the league's coaches would be in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament

— Henry Greenstein (@HenryGreenstein) May 28, 2025

“The consensus among the coaches – even though it was discussed very little – was we’d be in favor of [the tournament expanding],” Self said, per KSL Sports.

The idea of allowing more teams into March Madness is not necessarily new — the College Football Playoff already expanded from four to 12 teams — and that could extend to basketball.

Last year, the NCAA presented a plan to conference commissioners to expand the tournament field from 68 to 72 or 76 schools.

With power conferences like the Big 12 and Big Ten adding more schools, the case for expansion is starting to make more sense.

More bids and fewer snubs on Selection Sunday would create more opportunities for squads across the country, though some fans might worry that having too many teams in the tournament could water down the product.

The Big 12 is still adapting to its new 16-school conference, recently heading back to an 18-game league format rather than the 20 games that teams played this past season. That is the same number it used from 2011-2024.

Ultimately, Self believes that expanding the field ensures that more teams get a fair shot in March.