The NCAA has presented a plan to Division I conference commissioners that would expand the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments by four or eight teams alongside an option to leave each field at 68 teams, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
The proposals were outlined to the commissioners this week by NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt and NCAA vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman, the source said. Under the proposal, expansion of the 68-team field included both four- and eight-team models. The NCAA would keep its 64-team bracket but would add play-in games involving the Nos. 10 through 12 seeds.
If the men’s tournament expands, it is expected the women’s tourney would as well. Yahoo Sports first reported on the proposals.
“It is appropriate to look at expansion, and we need to do that,” ACC commissioner James Phillips said Thursday during the Associated Press Sports Editors summer conference. “We’re looking at it.”
Phillips didn’t go into details on the proposal, which he said now “goes in front of the basketball committee, basketball oversight.”
“When do you get to the point when the regular season doesn’t matter?” Phillips said. “Modest expansion is something I would prefer.”
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