{"id":728258,"date":"2026-05-07T18:27:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/728258\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:27:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:27:13","slug":"like-it-or-not-march-madness-is-expanding-to-76-teams-starting-next-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/728258\/","title":{"rendered":"Like it or not, March Madness is expanding to 76 teams, starting next season"},"content":{"rendered":"

March Madness<\/a> is expanding.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s and women\u2019s NCAA basketball tournaments will grow to 76 teams<\/a> starting next season, following a vote by the NCAA selection committees, Thursday, May 7.<\/p>\n

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported<\/a> Thursday’s vote was unanimous: “Not a single dissenting vote.”<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

OPINION: Expanding the NCAA Tournament won’t make it better<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the first time the NCAA tournament will expand on the men\u2019s side since it went for 65 to 68 teams in 2011, and the women\u2019s side followed suit in 2022. However, it\u2019s the first major expansion since the men went from 53 to 64 in 1985, and the women\u2019s jumped from 48 to 64 since 1994.<\/p>\n

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Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament <\/a>at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.<\/p>\n

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Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament <\/a>at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.<\/p>\n

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Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John’s Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.<\/p>\n

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Nebraska’s Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men’s basketball<\/a> tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game <\/a>of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.<\/p>\n

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VCU Rams fans react after a 3-pointer by Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

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Howard Bison cheerleaders perform during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Keybank Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.<\/p>\n

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BYU Cougars cheerleader in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.<\/p>\n

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Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Mar 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

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Texas A&M Aggies cheerleaders during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

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Texas Longhorns band in the first half against the BYU Cougars during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland.<\/p>\n

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St. John’s Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunder mixes with players prior to taking the court during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California.<\/p>\n

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A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA<\/a> Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

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The High Point Panthers fans cheer during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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The High Point Panthers cheerleaders react during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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The North Dakota State Bison mascot and cheerleaders pose for a photo before the game against the Michigan State Spartans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY<\/p>\n

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Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

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The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during a time out during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland.<\/p>\n

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A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.<\/p>\n

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The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

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The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

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The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

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Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

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A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.<\/p>\n

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The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

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Akron Zips fans in the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

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Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders in the first half against the Akron Zips during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

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Santa Clara Broncos fans react to game play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.<\/p>\n

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Akron Zips cheerleaders and mascot in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

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Wright State Raiders fans celebrate after a Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) scores during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.<\/p>\n

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Hofstra Pride cheerleaders in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

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Garth Noble of the Louisville pep band is amped at the 2026 NCAA Women’s March Madness basketball tournament at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Michigan head coach Dusty May high-fives players after 95-72 win over Saint Louis at the NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and spirit squad cheer during the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament against the Fairfield Stags at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

The move has been anticipated since conversations began in 2025 as NCAA president Charlie Baker has strongly vouched for expansion. Multiple college athletic directors and coaches confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on April 28 there\u2019s an \u201cexpectation\u201d for it to grow after ESPN reported<\/a> it was in the final stages of being approved.<\/p>\n

The proposal was accepted by the men’s and women’s basketball committees on May 7, and now the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees, the Division I Cabinet and DI Board of Governors approval is all that’s needed to finalize the move.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

With eight more spots, the new NCAA tournament will have a First Four play-in that will go from eight teams in four games to 24 teams playing 12 games to advance to the first round of the tournament. It has yet to be determined where the games will be played, but it is expected to take place Tuesday and Wednesday prior to when the first round begins on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The first round of 64 and ensuing rounds remain intact.<\/p>\n

While the major bracket stays the same and keeps the excitement of it, the main issue with expansion is it waters down the potential field, allowing Power conference teams with subpar records in, while still keeping quality mid-major teams out.<\/p>\n

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See women’s March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities<\/p>\n

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women’s March Madness<\/a> Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women’s March Madness<\/a> Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Laura Ziegler of the Louisville Cardinals kisses the court after her team’s 69-68 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 23, 2026 in Louisville, Ky.<\/p>\n

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Ohio State mascot Brutus Buckeye and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leprechaun mascot cheer prior to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament second round game at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Louisville fans cheer during a first-round game between the Louisville Cardinals and Vermont Catamounts in the 2026 NCAA Women\u00e2\u00d5s Basketball Tournament at the KFC Yum Center, March 21, 2026, in Louisville, Ky.<\/p>\n

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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish huddle up prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Second Round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Jerome Schottenstein Center on March 23, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Notre Dame defeated Ohio Sate 83-73.<\/p>\n

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A Louisville fan held a sign in the final seconds as the Cards defeated Alabama 69-68 to move on to the Sweet 16 during the 2026 NCAA Women’s March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Alabama mascot Big Al works the crowd during a first-round game between the Rhode Island Rams and Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 NCAA Women\u00d5s Basketball Tournament at the KFC Yum Center, March 21, 2026, in Louisville, Ky.<\/p>\n

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The Ohio State Buckeyes sit for the starting lineup prior to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament second round game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Ohio State Buckeyes fans react to a foul call during the NCAA women’s basketball tournament second round game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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A member of the Louisville Cardinals band performs during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 23, 2026 in Louisville, Ky.<\/p>\n

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A player spins a basketball branded with the NCAA logo before a game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Louisville Cardinals in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 23, 2026 in Louisville, Ky.<\/p>\n

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The Iowa State Cyclones mascot on the court during a break against the Syracuse Orange in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Ct. on Mar 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Guard Kylie Feuerbach #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes interacts with fans after a match-up against the FDU Knights on March 21, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa.<\/p>\n

For instance, under the new format, 17-16 Auburn and 18-14 Indiana would have qualified for the play-in games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Another factor is the expanded field will require mid-major conference tournament champions that are high seeds to play their way into the first round. In the 68-team format, the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers (No. 16 seeds) played in the First Four to advance to the first round.<\/p>\n

It was not announced if there will be any changes to the selection format. The 2027 men\u2019s NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin on March 16 and the women\u2019s on March 17.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament will expand to 76 teams, starting in 2027<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March Madness is expanding. The men\u2019s and women\u2019s NCAA basketball tournaments will grow to 76 teams starting next…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":728259,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3723],"tags":[7,217,90357,7456,1949,231,772,1400,1544,87151],"class_list":["post-728258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-basketball","tag-basketball","tag-college-basketball","tag-dissenting-vote","tag-march-madness","tag-matt-norlander","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-basketball","tag-ncaa-tournament","tag-ncaab","tag-women39s-basketball"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116534712717180880","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/728259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}