College basketball is entering what could be the final season before March Madness expands, despite significant fan opposition to the potential move.
After significant conversations this summer about adding four or eight teams to the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments this season, college leaders opted to remain at 68 teams for 2026, but are still not ruling out future growth.
NCAA SVP of basketball Dan Gavitt in August said that the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees “will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships.”
This week, Gavitt cited the expansion of the College Football Playoff and the recent expansion of postseasons in professional leagues as one reason March Madness could follow suit.
“In some cases, it’s been really positive for the sport. In others, you could argue it may or may not have been,” he said on the Inside College Basketball Now podcast. “But I think that environment encouraged a more diligent process to seriously consider whether or not to expand the basketball championships. That process is still ongoing. There’s no decision that’s been made, nor is there one that’s imminent. … In 2027 or beyond, it could still grow modestly. Time will tell if it indeed comes to that.”
Money Matters
NCAA president Charlie Baker in May said there had been “good conversations” with men’s March Madness media rights holders CBS Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery about expansion.
The NCAA would likely want additional money for adding games, although sources told Front Office Sports they didn’t expect CBS and WBD to be willing to pay much more than they already are in their current $1 billion annual deal through 2032.
The terms of the NCAA’s media contract with Disney for the women’s tournament stipulate that ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.
