Overview

• Commissioner Tony Petitti said at Big Ten media day that league coaches and athletic directors support enlarging the field to improve access for teams in expanded conferences.
• Reporting indicates a 76-team model is gaining traction for as early as 2027, featuring a 24-team opening round that includes 12 automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams.
• The Big Ten favors straight seeding that ranks all qualifiers top to bottom, a setup that would likely place more small-conference automatic bids in the opening round.
• Petitti acknowledged that straight seeding could affect broadcast value and noted a First Four–style approach may remain more likely under an expanded format.
• Financial stakes loom over the talks, with tournament wins generating conference units worth about $2 million each and questions lingering over future media rights fees.