Sources: NCAA basketball tournaments set to move to 76 teams

Key Points:

• The NCAA is finalizing plans to expand both the men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams, with the expansion expected to begin in the upcoming season and an official announcement potentially coming in mid-May.
• The expansion requires approvals from multiple NCAA committees, but sources indicate these are largely formalities and the necessary media contracts are near completion.
• The primary motivation for expansion is to increase access for at-large bids, particularly benefiting power conferences, rather than generating significant financial gain, though a modest profit is anticipated.
• For the men's tournament, the First Four would expand from eight teams playing four games to 24 teams playing 12 games across two sites, with one site remaining in Dayton, Ohio, and the other likely west of the Eastern time zone.
• The traditional 64-team bracket would still start on Thursday, but more teams would play in the earlier rounds, meaning additional games on Tuesday and Wednesday featuring 24 teams instead of the current setup.