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The Michigan men’s basketball team secured its first national title in more than 30 years earlier this month. A day earlier, the UCLA women’s team claimed its first NCAA Tournament crown.
Michigan and UCLA raced through a 64-team bracket to hoist their respective championship trophies, but an expanded bracket could make repeats more difficult next season. ESPN reported Tuesday, citing sources, that the NCAA is moving forward with plans to expand both tournaments to 76 teams.
The expansion has been on the table for more than a year, but this latest move could pave the way for formal approval, with an announcement possible as soon as next month. The larger field could be in place before the 2026-27 season.
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The Sweet 16/Elite Eight March Madness logo is displayed on the floor before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Elite Eight game between Texas Tech and Florida at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California on March 29, 2025. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
While there are still several hurdles with the NCAA committees before changes can become official, a source told ESPN that the remaining steps are just “formalities.”
Media rights deals remain unfinished, and signed contracts will likely be needed before the men’s and women’s basketball committees, oversight groups and other parties move forward. ESPN reported that NCAA officials have recently engaged in discussions with key media partners.
NCAA TOURNAMENT IS GOING TO EXPAND UNFORTUNATELY. JUST WHAT WE NEED, MORE TEAMS
While the financial framework for the expansion is still unclear, costs are expected to rise with more teams traveling and competing. A source told ESPN the plan could still ultimately turn a profit and a “modest financial upside.”
A game ball with the March Madness logo is displayed during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., on March 22, 2025. (Beau Brune/NCAA Photos)
Expansion discussions appear to be driven more by the pressure for at-large bids at power conferences than by economic considerations. Many leagues have added a significant number of schools under the current agreement.
“Expanding the basketball tournaments will require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” an NCAA spokesman told OutKick’s Trey Wallace.
Currently, the First Four has eight teams across four games. Under the expansion, that will grow to 12 games involving 24 teams, with the men’s tournament adding eight bids.
NCAA basketball goes through the net during the SEC women’s college basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC, on March 8, 2025. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire)
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Overall, the proposal would mean the top four would see 24 of those 76 teams compete on Tuesday and Wednesday. Eight teams that would have once been in the usual bracket would now face eight new teams. The primary 64-team group would still tip Thursday with little change.
