NCAA Basketball Tournaments Expanding to 76 Teams Starting 2027, and the Changes Are Already Set

The NCAA is about to make it official. According to ESPN, the men's and women's basketball tournaments are expanding from 68 teams to 76 teams beginning in 2027, with the formal vote expected as soon as Thursday. After more than a year of expansion talks and with media contracts near completion, this thing is finally crossing the finish line.

Here's How the New Format Actually Works

So what does 76 teams actually look like on the court? Fifty-two teams slot directly into the main bracket. The remaining 24 teams? They'll face off in 12 play-in games on the Tuesday and Wednesday right after Selection Sunday, and the winners fill out the Round of 64. The NCAA is ditching the old "First Four" name entirely. Going forward, those play-in games are the "opening round," and the Round of 64 is the "first round."

Both sets of games will happen in Dayton, Ohio, the current home of the First Four, plus a second site still to be determined. This marks the first expansion since 2011, when the tournament jumped from 65 to 68 teams.

Who Pushed This Thing Across the Line

The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the loudest voices demanding expansion, according to Yahoo Sports reporting from April. NCAA president Charlie Baker backed them up. "I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament," Baker told ESPN back in February. "So, I would like to see it expand."

The NCAA initially denied any final decision had been made when expansion reports hit in late April, but the machinery was always moving. Multiple committees had to sign off: the men's and women's basketball committees, the men's and women's basketball oversight committees, the Division I cabinet, and the Division I Board of Governors. Now we're at the end of that approval chain.

Expect the formal announcement Thursday. The 76-team format kicks off in 2027.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.