College basketball teams were recently warned of a ‘significant’ issue that could affect their involvement in the upcoming NCAA Tournaments, with it now emerging that ICE could be the root cause
Tom Malley U.S. Sports Reporter
14:25 ET, 12 Mar 2026Updated 14:25 ET, 12 Mar 2026
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could have a big say in the success of March Madness in 2026
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could play a major role in whether college basketball teams make it to this year’s March Madness, amid increased demand for charter planes.
Last month, the NCAA warned college basketball teams across the country of “significant” travel issues due to fewer available charter planes ahead of March Madness, the most popular mode of transport for teams competing in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The collegiate governing body attributed the issues to “several factors outside of NCAA control” and encouraged teams to be proactive with their travel plans as a result. It comes as Big 12 college basketball players voice their displeasure with a new glass LED court.
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With 136 teams playing in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, which get underway with the First Four on March 17 and 18, before the first round takes place March 19-20, there are a lot of flights to book that first week.
However, it’s looking highly likely that several teams will be forced to travel cross-country by coach due to the shortage of planes, which could prove a major logistical issue, as teams are often given only 12 to 72 hours of advance notice.
One of the biggest reasons for this shortage is said to be ICE, which is taking up a lot of charter planes to conduct its “immigration enforcement flights”, of which it carried out more than 14,000 between Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 20, 2026.
Teams in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments use charter planes to fly to tournament locations
“One of the things that I’ve heard is ICE is taking up a lot of charter planes. I think the charter market is just demonstrably different than it has been,” Keith Gill, NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee chair and the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, told reporters.
While ICE operates flights under the banner “ICE Air Operations (IAO),” it commissions charter flights from external contractors. It is therefore possible that some of the same planes commissioned for the NCAA tournament may also be those used by ICE.
ICE’s demand for planes has skyrocketed ever since U.S. President Donald Trump returned for his second stint in the White House 14 months ago, having pledged to carry out the “American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens”.
That promise resulted in more than 600,000 deportations in 2025, and some of the planes used for those flights, both domestically and abroad, were also found to have been the same ones used during the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments last year, according to The Athletic.
More teams may have to resort to travelling by coach at this year’s NCAA Tournament’s
The report also revealed that it isn’t just the NCAA that has been using the same planes as ICE; professional teams, including Inter Miami, have also done so.
Right now, however, college basketball teams are the main concern, as with less than seven days until March Madness gets underway, many flights need to be booked soon.
Dayton (OH), Buffalo (NY), Greenville (SC), Oklahoma City (OK), Portland (OR), Tampa (FL), Philadelphia (PA), San Diego (CA), and St. Louis (MO) will all be host locations next week, setting up for plenty of travel, but just how smoothly things go remains to be seen.