NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament to expand to 76 teams

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – On Thursday, the men’s and women’s selection committees voted unanimously to expand the NCAA Tournament field, marking what would become the third expansion of the tournament this century, and the first since 2011.

The expanded format would add additional opening-round games on Tuesday and Wednesday before the traditional bracket begins. The 12 winners from those preliminary matchups would then join the 52 teams that had already qualified, creating the familiar 64-team bracket fans are accustomed to seeing for the remainder of the tournament.

While the committees have approved the change, the expansion still requires final approval from the NCAA Division I Council Cabinet during its next meeting on May 22, along with approval from the NCAA Board of Governors. Both groups are widely expected to sign off on the proposal.

Additional details regarding seeding, scheduling, and an additional host site to Dayton are expected to be announced following the official approval process later this month.