The NCAA Tournament expands to 76 teams and is about money, not placement or madness

After a year of consolidation, the NCAA tournament will expand to 76 teams next season, and the mighty dollar is at the forefront of this new postseason game.

I hope you didn’t think the NCAA would get away with adding teams to a tournament that was already popular enough that the ratings soared this past season to record highs.

The move was a gamble, as college playoff committee members were already looking to add slots after just one 12-team season.

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The official announcement should come from the NCAA and its television partners sometime next month, as all the final details have been published, including the sponsors of this huge tournament.

One of the questions I asked on social media centered around which teams that were left out this past season deserved a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Interestingly, only Belmont was raised in earnest. Not Auburn, which went on a two-day southern revival in hopes of convincing the tournament committee to pick them over the others.

Indeed, there have been a number of conference commissioners, coaches and athletic directors who have voiced their support for expanding the tournament.

I hope you are not confused as to why certain conferences would welcome an extension, compared to others who say the regular season will be shortened.

Creating multiple locations for multiple groups

Sound familiar? It’s almost like we’re having the same conversation in college football. Come on, the more, the merrier, right?

No, this is a way to get more places in power conferences, and the big ones in the middle still need to come up with a public relations strategy to argue their case for more inclusion.

“I think it’s worth it,” Tennessee AD Danny White said this week. “Now there are 350-plus Division I schools, and you start thinking about the percentage of that team that can make the postseason. Playing in the NCAA Tournament is an amazing experience, something basketball players, men and women, will remember for the rest of their lives. So I’m all for it, I think it’s healthy.”

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Miami (Ohio) head coach Travis Steele is interviewed following the First Four NCAA Tournament game against SMU in Dayton, Ohio, March 18, 2026. (Jeff Dean/AP)

So, because there are so many schools playing college basketball at the Division I level, should we allow them to get a participation trophy? Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to see a team like Miami (Ohio) make the NCAA Tournament this past season, because they got a chance.

But, are we about to see a 10th-ranked team from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC or Big 12 take a place among the big leagues?

Tell me. Which conferences will garner the biggest ratings for an ‘opening round’ game featuring 24 teams in 12 games on Tuesday and Wednesday?

That’s a creative question. Money wins in these cases, and by building a bigger tournament field, the television networks will increase inventory, and the NCAA will have more space to sell advertising.

I want to make it clear though, I am for the best postseason.

More site, more groups equals more income

They actually removed the “First Four” that opens the tournament each season in Dayton and now they are adding a host city for six more games.

We will see 52 teams get an automatic place in the first round that starts on Thursday, while the remaining 24 teams will fight to the death in two different places for the right to advance.

Sure, more money will help, a little. There will be some teams that make the postseason that will earn enough from their NCAA Tournament appearance to help their overall basketball budget.

Also, a new “opening round” will feature teams that receive major league titles and win their conference championships. This round will include all 16 seeded teams, and 50% of the 15 teams. Those 12 seeded teams that could turn into Cinderellas will also participate in the opening round, joining several No. 1 seeds. 11.

High Point Panthers fans watch before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament first round game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on March 19, 2026. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

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The women’s tournament had a hard time filling some fields in the opening rounds, but sure enough, let’s add more teams to the equation.

Look, I don’t blame the NCAA for trying to get more money, given how much money was spent on the House settlement, and the court disputes that seem to erupt every month.

The NCAA Tournament was in a good place this past season. The fans seemed to be enjoying it, and of course they were talking about not needing an expansion.

But at the end of the day, money wins. Some may preach that it’s about inclusion, but don’t fall for the trick. The same can be said for college football.

Is this microphone on? I think not.