NCAA Tournament set to expand to 76 teams. What will it look like?

The men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments are on the cusp of expanding to 76 teams, ESPN reported, in the final stages of a move that has long been rumored. It is set to take place for the 2027 tournament.

Two Division I athletic directors and three men's basketball coaches confirmed to USA TODAY Sports there's an "expectation" for expansion, with one coach saying, "we’ll be stunned if it doesn’t happen."

People close to the situation say expansion is on track to be formalized in May, but still has to go through committee. The proposal will need approval from the men's and women's basketball committees, the men's and women's basketball oversight committees, the Division I Cabinet and the DI Board of Governors to be finalized.

One of the most divisive topics in college hoops, the conversation surrounding tournament expansion had been picking up steam since 2025, with NCAA president Charlie Baker strongly indicating it would be happening in the near future. The current format of 68 teams has been in use since 2011 for the men's and 2022 for the women's fields.




https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/04/28/ncaa-tournament-expand-76-bracket/89844412007/