NCAA officials presented at least two expanded basketball tournament models to Division I conference commissioners Wednesday, a person briefed on the presentation said, laying the groundwork for what a 72- or 76-team tournament could look like.
NCAA senior vice president for basketball Dan Gavitt and vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman introduced the models at the commissioners’ annual summer meeting.
One model expands the current 68-team field by four and the other by eight. Both feature additional at-large bids and at least one more First Four game site. The expanded tournament would start at the earliest for the 2025-26 season, according to multiple Division I commissioners.
Yahoo first reported about the presentation.
Talks about the NCAA Tournament size and structure grew louder this spring, drawing blowback from traditionalists. The Athletic reported in March that a 72- or 76-team tournament looked like the likeliest outcome for expansion from 68. A college administrator briefed on expansion conversations told The Athletic in March that “there is little to no appetite” for a bracket featuring an even larger field.
“The NCAA has to be proactive,” the source said. “Expansion — modest expansion — may be the only way to keep the tournament we…
