The NCAA Tournament is currently set at 68 teams. This was confirmed during recent meetings of both the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees, where discussions of potentially expanding the tournament occurred. The options considered include remaining at 68 or increasing to either 72 or 76 teams before the 2026 or 2027 seasons. Nothing definitive has been decided yet.

“The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees met this week, with the men’s meeting taking place in Savannah and the women’s meeting in Philadelphia,” Gavitt stated. “The topic of expanding the field was discussed at length but no recommendation was made.”

The conversation around expanding the tournaments has been ongoing for several years, following the previous expansion from 64 to 68 teams in 2011 with the introduction of the First Four. Similarly, the women’s tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2022.

Further debates around this issue continue, particularly concerning the public’s opposition to expansion. NCAA president Charlie Baker acknowledged that he finds value in a larger field. While there’s no formal deadline, he mentioned that a decision for the 2026 tournaments should ideally be made by mid-August.

Many factors influence this decision, especially financial consequences associated with adding teams to the tournament. More participating teams lead to a smaller revenue share for each, raising the complexity of expansion discussions.

“Expansion, even in a modest level, is complex and more costly due to additional expenses related to team travel and logistics,” Gavitt added.