The NCAA is moving forward with plans to expand both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams, a change expected to take effect for the 2026–27 season. According to a report by ESPN, the final steps of approval are underway, and an official announcement could come as early as mid-May.
While the NCAA has not issued a definitive decision, a statement Tuesday confirmed that “expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees,” and that “no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time.” The expansion has been discussed for over a year and is anticipated to be a formality at this stage, with most procedural hurdles expected to be resolved soon. NCAA President Charlie Baker said earlier this month that committees would revisit expansion discussions after this year’s tournaments.
The current 68-team field, which has been in place since 2011, includes four play-in games known as the “First Four.” With expansion, the initial round would increase to 12 teams and likely require a second venue to host the extra games. The new format would guarantee 52 teams a spot in the main 64-team draw, with the remaining 24 playing for the final positions.
Financially, the expansion is not expected to produce significant new revenue since it only adds games during the opening week. The current television contract runs through 2032 and may be slightly adjusted as a result of the changes, according to ESPN.
Final approval is still pending, but all indications suggest the expanded 76-team tournaments will debut with the 2026–27 season.
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