Selection Sunday faces irrelevance with NCAA tournament expansion
One of the most special days of the college basketball calendar might lose its luster with an expanded NCAA tournament field.
USA TODAY Sports took a look at what a 76-team expanded NCAA Tournament field might look like, which is something on the minds of everyone that cares deeply about men's and women's college hoops. While the brackets will look a little bit different, it's also fair to wonder whether Selection Sunday will have a different feel if the new tournament format comes to pass. It's tradition for players, coaches, fans and alumni to get together to watch the unveiling of the field in that distinctive late Sunday afternoon window in mid-March.
Bubble teams' anticipation add to the tension as they learn whether or not several months of hard work will be rewarded with an NCAA tournament berth. More March Madness: NCAA basketball tournaments reportedly set to expand to 76 teams https://t. co/rFZGnGGekX ā Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 30, 2026 There's a chance that the excitement that has gone hand-in-hand with Selection Sunday could be greatly reduced.
ESPN's Jay Williams and others have expressed concerns about the expanded field only serving power conferences, awkwardly leaving heavyweight programs to play the role of Cinderella. If that ends up being the case, what was once appointment viewing for two-loss mid-majors could be a hard pass when power schools who finish under . 500 in conference play inevitably snatch the last few spots in the big dance.
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