The NCAA Tournament will remain at 68 teams — at least for another season.
The 2026 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball brackets will continue in their current form, with the decision to stay put made on a joint Zoom call Monday afternoon between the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees, sources told CBS Sports.
The move comes a little less than a month after the committees’ separate in-person gatherings in Georgia (men’s) and Philadelphia (women’s) when, despite anticipation of a verdict, no action was taken. Following July’s lack of action, Monday’s vote was seen as an inevitability due to the calendar creep on the 2025-26 academic year.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, made this statement Monday.
As for what to do with 2027 and beyond, the topic remains up for scrutiny and debate. The committees have thoroughly looked into the logistics, financials and frameworks of going to 72 or 76 teams. At this stage, sources said, the long-term decision is going to ultimately come down to whether to remain at 68 or move to 76; increasing to 72, while not officially off the table, isn’t seen as a worthwhile endeavor and is regarded as a long shot third option.
Exploration of whether or not to expand March Madness has been ongoing for more than three years. Significant financial challenges and the inescapable reality that bloating one of the most beloved American sporting events remains a highly unpopular proposition have thwarted a vote to expand up to this point. For weeks, sports fans and many in college athletics braced for a vote in favor of expansion, which would dilute the field and reduce the significance and relevancy of college hoops’ regular season.
Altering the structure of the men’s and women’s tournaments would come with a lot of on-the-ground orchestration. Most notably: If a move to 76 is eventually made, that would mandate two additional…
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