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The Michigan men's basketball team captured its first national title in more than 30 years earlier this month. A day earlier, the UCLA women's team earned its first NCAA tournament crown.
Michigan and UCLA boosted a 64-team field to hoist their respective championship trophies, but an expanded field could make it difficult to repeat 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 step could pave the way for formal approval, and may be announced next month. The larger field could be ready 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 Elite Eight men's basketball tournament between Texas Tech and Florida at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on March 29, 2025. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Although several hurdles remain in NCAA committees before any changes can become official, a source told ESPN that the remaining steps are merely “formalities.”
Media rights agreements 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.
THE NCAA TOURNAMENT IS GOING TO BE EXPANDED, UNFORTUNATELY. JUST WHAT WE NEED, MORE EQUIPMENT
While the financial framework for the expansion is still unclear, costs are expected to rise as more teams travel and compete. A source told ESPN that the plan could still generate profits and a “modest financial advantage.”
A 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, Louisiana, on March 22, 2025. (Beau Brune/NCAA Photos)
Discussions about expansion appear to be driven more by the push for at-large bids to power conferences than by financial considerations. Many leagues have added a considerable number of schools under the current agreement.
“Expanding basketball tournaments would 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 spokesperson told OutKick's Trey Wallace.
Currently, the First Four features eight teams in four games. Under the expansion, that would grow to 12 games involving 24 teams, and the men's tournament would add eight at-large bids.
NCAA basketball goes over the net during the SEC women's college basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC, on March 8, 2025. (John Byrum/Sportswire Icon)
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Overall, the proposal would mean the First Four would see 24 of those 76 teams compete on Tuesday and Wednesday. Eight teams that would have once been in the regular group would now face eight new at-large teams. The main group of 64 teams would still begin Thursday with few changes.
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