UPDATE: The NCAA has officially announced that there will be no expansion of the March Madness tournament fields for the 2026 season. This decision was confirmed by NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt on Monday, as the organization turns its focus to future possibilities.
In a statement, Gavitt emphasized, “Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships.” However, he noted that discussions about potentially expanding to either 72 or 76 teams will continue ahead of the 2027 championships.
The idea of tournament expansion had gained traction earlier this year, with NCAA president Charlie Baker highlighting logistical challenges. “The tournament has to start after the conference championships are over,” Baker explained. “Selection Sunday currently occurs just two hours after the last tournament game ends, and it must conclude by the Tuesday before the Masters. There’s not a lot of room there.”
Despite no concrete plans being in place, speculation has been rife about including more at-large teams from major conferences into the existing 64-team bracket. Currently, the First Four games consist of 16 seeds that automatically qualify by winning lower-ranked conferences, in addition to at-large teams that are often seeded 11 or 12. For example, UCLA made an impressive run to the Final Four as an 11-seed in 2021 after competing in the First Four.
As March Madness approaches, fans and analysts alike will be closely monitoring any forthcoming recommendations regarding expansion for the 2027 championships. For now, the NCAA’s commitment to maintaining the current format for 2026 has been firmly established, leaving many to ponder the future of college basketball’s most celebrated tournament.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.
