KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 commissioner, Brett Yormark, has voiced his support for expanding the men’s NCAA Tournament to include 76 teams. He anticipates that a decision on this proposed expansion could be made within the coming months, potentially leading to the implementation of changes as early as next year.
Yormark made these statements ahead of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday, expressing that, “I’m in favor of expansion to 76. I think that’s the right number.” However, he stressed that the financial aspects must align for the expansion to move forward. The television networks CBS and TNT currently own the rights to broadcast the tournament, and Yormark acknowledged the importance of these networks coming to an agreement that satisfies all parties economically.
This year’s iteration of March Madness marks the 40th edition of the men’s bracket since it first expanded to 64 teams in 1985, and it was later adjusted to its current 68-team format. For the women’s tournament, the expansion to 64 teams took place in 1994, with an additional increase to 68 teams occurring last year.
Last year, a proposal was presented to Division I commissioners by the NCAA, suggesting a potential expansion of the tournaments by either four or eight teams, though there was also an option to maintain the field size at 68. The structure of the 64-team bracket would remain intact, with any additional teams participating in play-in games between the 10-through-12 seeds.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, mentioned in a recent interview with CBS Sports that a vote on the matter is not likely to happen in the immediate future, but he did not rule out the possibility of a spring decision. Gavitt highlighted that there are various factors to consider, including game operations and travel logistics, making the decision complex and far from being taken lightly.
Gavitt also pointed out that even minor expansions involve complexity and can be costly. Reflecting on his father’s involvement with the 1985 expansion, Gavitt recognized the need for thoughtful deliberation on the current proposal. While he remains uncertain about the necessity of expanding, he acknowledges the changing landscape of college sports, which includes factors like name, image, likeness agreements, conference realignment, and the transfer portal.
According to Gavitt, these developments have contributed to a dynamic environment in men’s basketball, which may be better equipped to handle an expanded tournament. “There’s no sport that is deeper overall and has more parity than men’s college basketball,” he remarked. “There’s great basketball played at every level in men’s basketball right now. So I think it’s important to keep the tournament contemporary and relevant, based on what is going on in college athletics.”
Yormark echoed this sentiment, stating on Tuesday that he feels there is enthusiasm for incorporating more teams and games. “I think there will be some decisions over the next 90 days, 60 days,” Yormark said. “No one wants to be diluted, and we have a great asset here. We’ll see how it plays out.”
