INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The potential expansion of the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments is on hold — for now.
The NCAA’s basketball committee has been in ongoing discussions to add anywhere from four to eight teams to the annual March Madness bracket, but the changes won’t be coming this season.
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt released a statement Monday saying that expansion is “no longer being contemplated” for the 2026 tournaments. However, making March Madness bigger — and madder — is still on the table.
“The committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships,” Gavitt said.
An expansion would be on the heels of college football’s recent playoff evolution from four to 12 teams. Ohio State won the first 12-team playoff in January, marking the Buckeyes’ ninth national championship and first in 10 years.
Gavitt told Sports 8’s Angela Moryan back in April that the same conferences that helped push through the expanded College Football Playoff do have interest in growing the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as well.
“College basketball’s growing. There’s a lot of parody,” Gavitt said in the April interview. “More and more teams and programs would like to have the opportunity to participate in March Madness, so that’s why it’s getting so much consideration.”
Fans of expansion will now wait until a decision’s made for the 2027 tournaments.
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