Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

NCAA Expands March Madness to 76 Teams Starting 2026

4/29/2026

45 10 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The NCAA will expand men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams in 2026-27.
A 12-game opening round with 24 teams will be held at Dayton, Ohio and a site, featuring all No. 16 and half No. 15 seeds, including No. 11-13, at-large and automatic bids.
Power conferences have driven the change, which adds eight at-large bids and eight extra games before the 64-team bracket, with a modest upside to cover costs.

1 of 1

Story summary

The NCAA will expand men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams in 2026-27.
A 12-game opening round with 24 teams will be held at Dayton, Ohio and a site, featuring all No. 16 and half No. 15 seeds, including No. 11-13, at-large and automatic bids.
Power conferences have driven the change, which adds eight at-large bids and eight extra games before the 64-team bracket, with a modest upside to cover costs.