NCAA basketball tournaments closing in on 76-team March Madness starting in 2027: Sources
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The NCAA is planning to expand both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams for the next season, with a final plan expected next month.
- The expansion would add eight more at-large teams and increase the First Four opening round from four games to 12, potentially adding an additional host site.
- Approval from multiple NCAA committees is still required, and no final decisions have been made; logistics and funding remain key challenges.
- The NCAA and its media partners, CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery, are exploring ways to generate additional revenue through sponsorships and advertising to cover expansion costs without reducing payouts to Division I conferences.
- This would be the largest men’s tournament expansion since 1985, following previous increases to 64 teams in 1985 and 68 teams with the introduction of the First Four in 2011; the women’s tournament added a First Four in 2022.
