NCAA Vice President of Basketball Releases Statement on March Madness Expansion
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The NCAA Basketball Tournament is still set to include 68 teams, at least for the time being. Although there were discussions about the possibility of expanding March Madness to 72 or 76 teams, no decision has been made at this time.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt released a statement on Thursday regarding the matter. Over the last few months, the possibility of expanding the March Madness field has been discussed, and many believed a decision would be announced this week.
"The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees met this week, with the men's meeting taking place in Savannah and the women's meeting in Philadelphia," Gavitt wrote. "The topic of expanding the field for each championship was discussed at length but no decision or recommendation was made.
"The still viable outcomes include the tournaments remaining at 68 teams or expanding the fields to either 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2026 or 2027 championships."
Although it's not ruled out entirely yet, it seems the chances of expansion for the 2026 NCAA Tournament would be slim. The event is eight months away, giving the organization limited time to make any necessary changes to the format.
Still, the possibility for expansion remains on the table. A decision will just come at a later date.
The NCAA Tournament last expanded in 2011, when it moved from 65 teams to 68. March Madness now technically begins on Tuesday and Wednesday, with First Four games being played. First round action the follows on Thursday and Friday.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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