The NCAA announced on August 4, 2025, that it will retain the current 68-team format for both the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments in 2026, opting against previously floated proposals to expand the fields to either 72 or 76 teams. The decision was reached during recent meetings of the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees and confirms that no expansion will occur before the 2027 tournament cycle.
This announcement marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over whether March Madness, one of the most watched and celebrated sporting events in the country, should grow to include more teams. NCAA officials stated that logistical challenges, including scheduling, travel, venue availability, and increased operating costs, were key factors in their decision. The committees also cited the importance of preserving the existing tournament structure’s competitive balance and viewership appeal. According to NCAA Senior Vice President Dan Gavitt, while expansion discussions had been serious, they ultimately decided that 2026 was not the appropriate time for change.
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The current 68-team bracket has been in place since 2011 for the men’s tournament and was adopted for the women’s side more recently in 2022. It includes 31 automatic qualifiers, which are conference champions, and 37 at-large bids selected by the NCAA’s basketball selection committees. The structure also features the First Four games, where four of the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and four of the lowest-seeded at-large teams play to finalize the 64-team field that forms the traditional bracket.
Selection Sunday for the 2026 tournaments is scheduled for March 15. The men’s tournament will officially tip off on March 17 and conclude on April 6, with the Final Four and championship game set to take place in Indianapolis. The women’s tournament will follow a similar timeline, culminating in a national title game on April 5 in Phoenix. Both cities have hosted major NCAA events in the past and were selected due to their arena capacities, travel accessibility, and history of supporting collegiate athletics.
The decision to maintain the 68-team field has been welcomed by many college basketball analysts and coaches, particularly those from mid-major conferences. Critics of expansion have long argued that increasing the field size would disproportionately benefit schools from the Power Five conferences, who already dominate at-large selections. By preserving the current format, mid-major programs retain a more equitable opportunity to earn meaningful tournament placements through conference championships and high-quality regular-season play.
There had been growing speculation in early 2025 that expansion was imminent. NCAA President Charlie Baker and other executives had suggested that adding teams could increase access and engagement while generating more revenue through additional broadcast rights and ticket sales. Proponents of expansion pointed to the popularity of the College Football Playoff’s move to a 12-team format as a sign that broader participation could work in college basketball as well.
Still, logistical hurdles loomed large. Any expansion would require negotiating with host cities, reworking television contracts, and ensuring that additional games did not compromise the tournament’s tightly packed schedule. Venues for opening round games are often booked years in advance, and adding more teams would mean more travel and less recovery time for student-athletes already balancing academics with elite competition. These concerns, along with feedback from coaches and broadcasters, appeared to influence the committees’ final decision.
Although expansion is off the table for 2026, the NCAA made it clear that it will revisit the topic for future tournaments. The committees intend to analyze the 2026 event closely, evaluating whether the current structure continues to meet the organization’s goals for fairness, excitement, and accessibility. The next opportunity for expansion could come as early as 2027, depending on how future negotiations and feedback unfold.
For now, the 68-team format remains intact, providing familiarity for fans, stability for schools, and clarity for athletes preparing for one of the most iconic championship experiences in American sports. The NCAA’s choice reflects a cautious but deliberate approach to preserving what many consider the perfect mix of inclusion and competitiveness that has defined March Madness for more than a decade.
