How NCAA Tournament Expansion Will Mostly Benefit Major Conferences
The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament fields could expand from 68 to 76 teams starting next season, according to a recent ESPN report.
Michigan guard Trey McKenney (1) and forward Yaxel Lendeborg celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament fields could expand to 76 teams starting next season, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. If that comes to pass, teams from major conferences would likely benefit the most, as is customary in college athletics. The primary drivers of the proposed change?
Money, of course. And major conferences looking to get more teams in the tournaments. Thamel reported that NCAA officials met in April with executives from ESPN, CBS Sports and TNT Sports, the tournaments’ media partners.
ESPN televises the women’s tournament, while CBS and TNT split the men’s tournament and could soon be part of the same parent company. Paramount Skydance Corp. which owns CBS, has agreed to acquire Warner Bros.
Continue to the original source for the full article.