The landscape of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament might be on the verge of a significant change with the potential expansion beyond the current 68-team field.
Insights from Dana O’Neil of The Athletic suggest that insiders within the college basketball realm are gearing up for a possible enlargement of the tournament, a move that could be officially announced “in the very near future.”
Although the scope of expansion may not be dramatic, the addition of a few more teams into the mix seems to be under serious consideration.
O’Neil has indicated that a field size of either 72 or 76 teams appears to be the most probable outcome of these discussions.
Despite speculation among fans about the inclusion of nearly 100 schools, it seems unlikely that such a vast expansion would materialize. An anonymous college administrator emphasized that there’s little enthusiasm within the collegiate sphere for the notion of accommodating 96 teams, or even 80.
While the notion of expanding the tournament field is still in its formative stages, it’s increasingly viewed as a potential necessity.
According to O’Neil, administrators in college basketball are apprehensive that schools from power conferences might explore organizing their own postseason events if the NCAA tournament remains unchanged.
Yet, even a modest increase of four to eight teams presents its own set of challenges. Determining the additional eligible teams remains a topic of debate, and a larger tournament field also means a more diluted share of broadcasting revenue among participating schools.
NCAA president Charlie Baker has expressed his support for an expanded format in an interview with ESPN’s Dan Murphy. “I certainly think there’s an opportunity there to do more to find a way to bring more teams into the tournament,” Baker stated, as reported by David Jones of PennLive.com.
While specific details are still being hashed out, it’s evident that the men’s NCAA tournament is on a trajectory toward a broader field.
