NCAA Tournament expansion won’t happen in 2026

The NCAA Tournament was a pretty perfect concept when it was 64 teams. The expansion to 68 teams was weird, but it didn’t mess with the overall structure and feel.

Of course, nothing gold can stay, and discussions around an expansion to 72 or 76 teams have been picking up steam recently. While that might be the case eventually, it’s not going to happen by next season.

The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments will not expand beyond 68 teams this season, but expansion remains on the radar, according to NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt.

“Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships,” Gavitt said Monday in a statement. “However, the committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships.”

Last month, NCAA president Charlie Baker said the biggest blocker for tournament expansion was logistics, especially if they attempt to make it happen sooner rather than later.

“The tournament has to start after the conference championships are over,” he said. “And right now Selection Sunday happens like two hours after the last tournament game ends and has to finish by the Tuesday before the Masters. There’s not a lot of room there. Any expansion, we’re going to have to figure out how to put it in and then logistically how to make it work.”

Baker noted at the time that the NCAA has had “good conversations” with CBS and Warner Bros., who own the rights to the men’s tournament.