March Madness men’s and women’s tournament field will stay at 68 teams in 2026 but could expand in 2027
The Tennessee Volunteers and the UCLA Bruins faced off in a second-round game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in March. The next edition of March Madness will stay the same size in 2026.
By Jill Martin, CNN
(CNN) — The next edition of March Madness will stay the same size in 2026.
The NCAA is sticking with 68 teams for this upcoming season for the field size of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments – though the discussion of future expansion is still on the table.
“Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “However, the committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships.”
According to the Associated Press, this spring, NCAA president Charlie Baker expressed interest in expansion and wanted a decision made in the next few months.
In 1939, the inaugural NCAA men’s basketball tournament had eight teams. It expanded to 16 teams in 1951, jumped up to 32 teams in 1975, and then doubled to 64 teams in 1985. In 2001, an opening-round game was added; in 2011, three more games were introduced to that round, making it a 68-team field.
The women’s tournament began as a 32-team field in 1982 and adopted the 64-team field format in 1994. The current format of 68 teams has been in effect since 2022.
The 2026 NCAA men’s Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In 2027, it will be at Ford Field in Detroit.
The NCAA women’s Final Four in 2026 will be held in Phoenix at PHX Arena, while Columbus, Ohio, plays host in 2027 at Nationwide Arena.
The-CNN-Wire
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