NCAA Tournament Expansion Basketball

FILE - UCLA head coach Cori Close after the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix.

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March Madness is bigger for 2027. It's unclear exactly how that will look in terms of who gets bids

March Madness is bigger for 2027. It's unclear exactly how that will look in terms of who gets bids

March Madness has grown to 76 teams for the men's and women's tournaments. Both events had been at 68 teams. It's unclear whether football-playing power conferences will gobble up the added spots or if it will give more chances for mid-majors to claim bids that can lead to magic March moments. The men's tournament had reached its modern era by growing to 64 teams in 1985, then made small gains to reach 68 by 2011. The women's tournament began in 1982 and reached 64 teams in 1994, but it was unchanged until going to 68 teams in 2022.