By Lauren Merola, Nicole Auerbach and Chris Vannini
NCAA officials presented at least two expanded basketball tournament models to Division I conference commissioners Wednesday, sources briefed on the presentation said, laying the groundwork for what a 72- or 76-team tournament could look like.
NCAA senior vice president for basketball Dan Gavitt and vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman introduced the models at the commissioners’ annual summer meeting.
One model expands the current 68-team field by four and the other by eight. Both feature additional at-large bids and at least one more First Four game site. The expanded tournament would start at the earliest for the 2025-26 season, according to multiple Division I commissioners.
Yahoo first reported about the presentation.
Talks about the NCAA Tournament size and structure grew louder this spring, drawing blowback from traditionalists. The Athletic reported in March that a 72- or 76-team tournament looked like the likeliest outcome for expansion from 68. A college administrator briefed on expansion conversations told The Athletic in March that “there is little to no appetite” for a bracket featuring an even larger field.
“The NCAA has to be proactive,” the source said. “Expansion — modest expansion — may be the only way to keep the tournament we all know and love alive.”
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NCAA eyeing modest men’s tournament expansion
The NCAA Tournament would maintain its 64-team bracket under the proposed models, meaning either more at-large teams seeded Nos. 10-12 or small-conference automatic qualifiers would need to win a First Four game to solidify their spot in the Round of 64, according to the multiple commissioners. An expanded tournament would have two or four First Four sites spaced out geographically.
More games would not immediately mean more revenue. CBS and Turner — which hold rights to the men’s tournament until 2032 — are not required to increase how much they pay alongside an uptick in games, a person briefed on the presentation confirmed.
If the men’s tournament expands, it is expected the women’s tournament would follow.
One of the people briefed on Wednesday’s presentation said it was a basic 90-minute presentation and discussion with no major debates or sticking points just yet and that everyone supports continuing the conversation. But there are still several steps to clear and major details to work out before a change could happen. The NCAA has been seeking feedback on the subject for months and will continue to do so. The NCAA Division I basketball committees will also need to be involved in final decision-making. The men’s basketball committee meets next in two weeks.
The men’s tournament has expanded gradually since its debut in 1939, which had just eight teams. It most recently added three teams to go to 68 in 2011. The women’s tournament went from 64 to 68 teams in 2022.
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(Photo: Ben Solomon / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)