Is NCAA Tournament Expansion a Good Thing for WVU?

March Madness expands to 76. Here's why it could be considered a good thing for the Mountaineers.

Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge answers questions from the media after defeating the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The NCAA recently approved the expansion for the NCAA Tournament (both men's and women's), increasing the field from 68 to 76. Most college basketball fans and media members, myself included, have not been in favor of tournament expansion because of how big the field already is.

But as far as West Virginia is concerned, does this help them? Hurt them? Does it even impact them?

Well, let's first break down what this new format will look like in comparison to the old one.

Since the tournament expanded from 64 to 68, there have been four "play-in" games, which have been dubbed the First Four. It would be two games where teams were playing for the right to be the No. 16 seed of a particular region, giving them a chance to taste what an NCAA Tournament win feels like before ultimately meeting their demise in the first round. The other two games would be teams playing to be either an 11 or 12 seed.

The change

There will now be twelve games (six at-large, six AQ) in the Opening Round, trying to play their way in. Four of those games will determine a 12 seed, while the other two will determine a No. 11 seed. On the automatic qualifier side, you have a similar setup — four No. 16 seeds on the line and two games playing for a No. 15 seed.

How it impacts WVU

The bubble expands, which is good news for teams in an incredibly challenging conference like the Big 12. So yeah, two years ago, when the Mountaineers were famously snubbed for an undeserving North Carolina team, they would have been in had this format been in place. They would have had to play in the Opening Round, but still, it would have had them in the dance.

Ideally, Ross Hodge gets things rolling, and they are rarely considered a bubble team. In that case, this has no effect on them whatsoever. The number of wins they would need to cut the nets down doesn't change. But in years where it's a little choppy, it could help.

Next season is a good example of how it could help them.

While they are going to undoubtedly be a much more talented team, they are going to be young and a little inexperienced at certain spots. If they stumble in non-conference play, they could live on the bubble all throughout league play. Having those extra spots available certainly helps, especially when you play in the Big 12 and have a chance to improve your resume every time you take the floor.