The annual NCAA basketball tournament will maintain its current structure of 68 participating teams, at least for the near future.
In a recent decision, the NCAA opted against increasing the size of the March Madness bracket for the 2025-26 season. However, discussions regarding potential expansion of the tournament are slated to continue.
According to reports from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger in late July, the prospect of expanding the tournament for the approaching season seemed improbable. This assessment followed NCAA president Charlie Baker’s expression of significant concerns related to “logistics” within the limited timeframe.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt communicated through an official statement that various NCAA committees will engage in further deliberations about the possibility of expansion to either 72 or 76 teams for tournaments occurring beyond the next season.
“The possibility of expanding the tournament fields is no longer under consideration for the 2026 editions of the men’s and women’s basketball championships,” Gavitt stated. “Nevertheless, the relevant committees will proceed with discussions to determine whether a recommendation for expanding to 72 or 76 teams is viable prior to the 2027 championships.”
The NCAA basketball selection committees, which hold responsibility alongside the basketball oversight committees for making any decisions regarding expansion, convened in early July. During these meetings, committee members were informed that expansion would likely commence in the 2026-27 season, according to sources cited by Dellenger.
Baker has previously voiced his support for enlarging the tournament to ensure participation for a greater number of deserving teams, including those narrowly missing selection.
“Each year, there are consistently several highly capable teams that are excluded from tournament participation for various reasons,” Baker told Yahoo Sports. “One primary factor is the allocation of 32 automatic qualifying bids to conference champions. While I greatly appreciate this tradition and believe it is beneficial, it inherently limits the remaining available slots to only 36 for all other teams.”
“I do not subscribe to the notion that teams currently being left out are undeserving. On the contrary, I believe they are qualified, and their exclusion is unfortunate.”
For over a year, college officials have been contemplating the inclusion of additional teams in the 68-team field, a change that would likely necessitate the addition of another “First Four” location.
“The primary obstacle lies in the logistical challenges,” Baker stated in July. “The tournament must commence subsequent to the conclusion of conference championships, with the selection show occurring roughly two hours after the final championship game. Furthermore, the tournament needs to conclude by the Tuesday preceding the Masters Tournament. This timeframe imposes significant constraints.”
