Division I Men's Basketball Committee addresses NCAA Tournament expansion

The Division I Men’s Basketball Committee addressed a possible expansion of the NCAA Tournament this week.

While the NCAA stressed that expanding the 68-team field isn’t imminent, it’s evident that it’s weighing heavy on their mind, and we could see an expanded field sooner rather than later.

“The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee spent time talking about a possible expansion of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship during its three-day meeting this week, though expanding the 68-team field is not imminent,” the NCAA announced. “The discussion followed recommendations made in January by the Division I Transformation Committee, which was formed in 2021 to identify opportunities to modernize college sports and recommend forward-thinking changes for consideration by the NCAA.

“One of those recommendations included accommodating 25% of a sport’s membership with championship access for sports that have at least 200 participating schools. Not including 11 schools currently in the reclassifying process from Division II, there are 351 Division I institutions that sponsor men’s basketball, translating into 19.4% of schools that make the NCAA tournament. The Association also owns the Men’s National Invitation Tournament, which features 32 teams, increasing the overall percentage to 28.5.”

Continuing, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt explained that the committee is committed to doing their “due diligence,” and keeps the best interest of the whole in mind.

“The committee must be good stewards for the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship,” said Gavitt, via the NCAA. “They are committed to doing their due diligence looking at a few different models to make an informed decision that’s in the best interests of the championship, and that may very well include deciding against expansion.”

Moreover, the NCAA Tournament field hasn’t expanded in over a decade, and the last time it did only three teams were added, having the field go from 65 to 68 teams. It remains to be seen how large the pool would get if expansion is agreed upon.

“The committee and staff will continue studying options and gathering feedback from various constituents,” Gavitt added. “Whether the tournament expands or not remains to be seen.”

Many believe the NCAA Tournament is perfect as is, and expanding the field would saturate the event. Nevertheless, it would bring in more dollars, and help schools that haven’t made it to the dance in awhile get back. There’s certainly a long list of both pros and cons.

Time will tell what the NCAA decides to do, but March Madness could look real different in the coming years if expansion is agreed upon.