The 2026 NCAA Tournament is 238 days away and we still don’t know how many teams will take part — 68? 72? 76? — because tournament expansion is … coming? Maybe?
The sport’s postseason remains in limbo in late July. Though the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees have discussed expansion at length, the most recent committee meetings ended July 10 without an official vote.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said growing the tournament to 72 or 76 teams remains a “viable” outcome. So does keeping the tournament at its current 68-team format, which includes the First Four games played on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There has been vocal opposition to expansion from both fans and media. But what do coaches think?
Last week at Peach Jam, one of the biggest basketball recruiting events in the country, The Athletic surveyed head coaches or assistants from 35 schools — 27 from high-major conferences and eight from mid-majors. Coaches were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.
The results were split.
For
14
Against
14
Indifferent
7
Why some coaches support expansion
The most common arguments for expansion were straightforward: It’ll allow more players to experience the single best college sporting event, coaches will have more job security, and everyone makes more money. Coaches also cited Division I’s growth to more than 360 teams.
Mid-major head coach: “I’m 100 percent for it. The NCAA Tournament is life-changing. It’s one of the best things a kid will ever do. They dream of it, and we’re only letting 15-20 percent of players play in it. Adding eight more teams is not going to hurt anyone. Nobody is going to mind watching another round. Who doesn’t want a reason to take Tuesday and Wednesday off from work, too?”
High-major head coach: “It was 64 teams way back when we had 100 less teams (in Division I), so why not?”
Mid-major head coach: “Opening up more avenues for even a bid to get two more mid-majors in, it would be way better than not. And it doesn’t really affect the format of the tournament. You’re literally adding four more games on two different nights. ”
High-major head coach: “Double the tournament and it will double the revenue.”
High-major head coach: “What we get judged on is making the NCAA Tournament. Think of how many guys were right there to make the NCAA Tournament, but lost their jobs because they didn’t, and had they, they might still have their jobs. So yeah, I’m all about it.”
Mid-major assistant: “I think a lot of coaches are for it. It extends contracts, it gets bonuses. But as a fan of college basketball, I don’t see why it’s necessary. It was already sacred when it went from 64 to 68. So as a fan, probably not for it. But as a coach, business-wise? I don’t see why you wouldn’t be for it, to be honest.”
Why coaches want to stay at 68
Coaches who didn’t like the idea of expansion — 14 of the 35 we spoke with — felt strongly about it.
High-major assistant: “It’s the best sporting event in the country. I don’t know why we would touch it.”
High-major head coach: “I think coaches who are for it are shortsighted, because what’s going to end up happening is — right now, if you make the NCAA Tournament, it’s a good year. Making the NCAA Tournament with 76 teams or whatever is not going to be a good year. You’re going to have to win games on a neutral court, which are really, really tough to win, and you’re going to see tons of coaches getting fired who make the NCAA Tournament. I think it’s better at 68.”
High-major assistant: “Hell no. You’ve gotta be good enough to make it. If you’re not, get better.”
High-major head coach: “I’m very against. I don’t know why they would mess up something that’s one of the best things that’s going on in sports. Our sport is March Madness — the whole country locks in for three weeks. Not saying it would mess it up, but why even go down that road?”
Mid-major assistant: “Before too long, we’re just gonna let everybody in.”
The neutral contingent
Nearly everyone surveyed acknowledged that if expansion does happen, it’ll be because of the money: Of the $1.38 billion profit reported by the NCAA in 2024, the majority came from the NCAA men’s tournament, which has a monster TV deal.
Still, some coaches were on the fence about whether adding teams would be a good move.
High-major head coach: “I’m indifferent. I understand expansion gives more opportunity, but it doesn’t make the tournament better.”
High-major assistant: “I don’t think it matters. At the end of the day, we’re going to do whatever is going to make us the most money. And if expansion is going to make us more money, then that’s what we’re gonna do. Is it going to be more (mid-majors) playing the First Four? I doubt it, because they’re not going to draw eyeballs. Especially with the leagues getting bigger, you’re going to have more of the 10, 11, 12 bid Power Four conferences.”
Mid-major head coach: “There are benefits to both sides. If there’s a way to expand so every regular-season champ gets in, great. But if we expand so everybody in the SEC and Big Ten can get at-large bids, I’m not on board with that.”
Eyes on the selection process
A number of coaches told us we were asking the wrong question. Perhaps the tournament is bound to expand, because money drives decisions. What coaches are concerned about isn’t when it happens or how many teams join, but rather how those teams are being selected.
Mid-major assistant: “The regular-season winner needs more respect, across all leagues.”
High-major head coach: “Conference tournaments shouldn’t matter at all. The toughest body of work is the regular season. Finishing in the top two of your conference regular season should matter more than something you do in a weekend. A lot of teams have been left out historically that shouldn’t be. South Florida being left out (in 2024) because they got upset in their conference tournament is a prime example — that’s not OK.”
High-major assistant: “If they did put more teams in, it gives some of the mid-majors a chance to get in that maybe wouldn’t get in. But if they’re gonna expand it to make more teams from the top leagues get in, I’m not sure they need to do that.”
High-major assistant: “If you win your conference regular-season championship by three or four games, that should guarantee you a spot — and that’s not true for mid-majors right now. Winning the regular season needs to matter more than just, you get the No. 1 seed in your conference tournament. What if you have a bad weekend? Now you’re being punished and missing the tournament. That’s not OK.”
(Photo: Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
