How NCAA Tournament Expansion Could Impact OSU Cowboys Basketball

Looking at history, here’s how an expanded NCAA Tournament could have impacted the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the past — and the future.

Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Steve Lutz. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma State Cowboys, like every other NCAA men’s basketball team, learned that March Madness would expand in 2027.

The NCAA formally adopted expanding the field, per Yahoo Sports and other outlets. That moved the field to 76 teams, up from 68 last season. It’s the most significant expansion of the tournament field since it was doubled from 32 to 64 teams in the 1980s.

That means the “First Four,” which features four games before the first round, becomes the “opening round,” will have 24 teams playing 12 games before the first round. Per Yahoo, to add 16 teams to the opening round eight teams will come out of the current field and eight new at-large teams will join the field.

So, what does that mean to Oklahoma State and coach Steve Lutz? It could mean plenty.

OSU and the Expanded NCAA Tournament

Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowboys made the NCAA Tournament just one time after Mike Boynton Jr. took over the program for the 2017-18 season. That was in 2021, when he recruited Cade Cunningham, who went on to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft after one season. But, OSU has made the NIT four times in that span and how the Cowboys were seeded could be used as a guide to see if an expanded NCAA Tournament would have helped those teams.

In 2017-18, the Cowboys were 21-15 and were a No. 2 seed. In 2022-23, the Cowboys were 20-16 and were a No. 1 seed in the NIT. OSU has gone to the NIT the last two seasons under Lutz. In 2024-25, the Cowboys were 17-18 and a No. 4 seed, and in 2025-26 they were 20-15 and a No. 2 seed.

Based solely on seeding, the Cowboys likely would have made the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2023 and in 2026, given that the 2027 event will feature eight new teams.

But that is based solely on seeding. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi posted his final Bracketology just before Selection Sunday in March. Oklahoma State was not listed among his First Four Out or Second Four Out, the likely teams that would join the field in the new 78-team model.

Using that as a guide, Oklahoma State wouldn’t have made the field, even with a 20-win season in Lutz’s second season. What likely hurt the Cowboys was their 6-12 record in the Big 12, which led to a tie for 13th in the standings. OSU was one of two Big 12 teams with 20 or more wins to not make the field. The other was West Virginia (21-14).

It means the Cowboys will have to be better in 2026-27 and won’t be able to count on solely an expanded field to get in the Big Dance.