The NCAA Tournament field will remain at 68 teams this season, the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees decided Monday. The committees will continue to discuss whether to bring the tournament field to 72 or 76 teams ahead of the 2027 tournaments, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement. […]
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NCAA Tournament to remain at 68 teams this season
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The NCAA Tournament field will remain at 68 teams this season, the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees decided Monday.
The committees will continue to discuss whether to bring the tournament field to 72 or 76 teams ahead of the 2027 tournaments, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement.
Both committees met on a joint Zoom call nearly a month after in-person meetings yielded no verdict. Proposals for March Madness to expand to 72 or 76 have been floated, but the most likely long-term decision will be whether to remain at 68 teams or increase to 76, CBS Sports reported.
Expansion has been a topic of discussion for years, but logistical and financial roadblocks, as well as the fear of negative fan reception, have delayed any real prospects of increasing the field of teams.
The NCAA Tournament last expanded in 2011, growing to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four.
–Field Level Media