March Madness tournaments will expand to 76 teams each starting next season
KSL News • • general
Key Points:
- The NCAA is expanding both men's and women's basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams starting next season, adding eight more teams and games to the early rounds now called the March Madness Opening Round.
- This expansion is financially supported by new sponsorship deals allowing advertising from beer, wine, spirits, and hard seltzer brands, generating an estimated $300 million in additional funding distributed partly to participating schools.
- The number of at-large bids will increase from 37 to 44, favoring power conference teams, a move criticized by some as benefiting wealthy conferences while raising concerns about the impact on mid-major programs.
- The tournament structure will maintain a 64-team main bracket after the opening rounds, with the new games integrated into the first week and televised on CBS, TNT, and partners under an $8.8 billion deal running through 2032.
- NCAA officials emphasize the expansion aims to balance competitive fairness and financial growth, with no conference objections reported, and expect the format to remain stable through at least 2032.
