March Madness expands to 76 teams for 2027 tournaments

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 20:02 · Archive

The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments will expand from 68 to 76 teams beginning in 2027.

The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams beginning in 2027, up from the current 68-team format. Both tournaments will adopt the larger field at the end of the upcoming season, marking a significant growth in the tournament's size.

The expansion theoretically increases the chances for dramatic moments that define March Madness lore. Virginia guard Kymora Johnson, who played in last season's women's tournament, recalled the anxious wait to hear her team's name called in the final slot, which motivated the 10th-seeded Cavaliers to reach the Sweet 16.

However, it remains unclear whether the expansion will primarily benefit mid-major programmes with lucrative tournament payouts, or whether it will simply allow more power-conference bubble teams to claim bids despite mediocre league records. Minnesota men's coach Niko Medved said he thinks the expansion 'is going to end up being more exciting than people realize in the next couple of years', though he acknowledged that some oppose it.

How it is being reported

• March Madness is bigger for 2027. It's unclear exactly how that will look in terms of who gets bidsMarch Madness has grown to 76 teams for the men's and women's tournaments.Clickorlando · 22 Oct, 19:18
• March Madness is bigger for 2027. It's unclear exactly how that will look in terms of who gets bidsMarch Madness has grown to 76 teams for the men's and women's tournaments.News4Jax · 22 Oct, 19:18

In this story: Virginia · Minnesota · Kymora Johnson · Niko Medved

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