Overview

• NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt confirmed that both the men’s and women’s tournaments will maintain a 68-team field for the 2025-26 season.
• Division I basketball committees will continue evaluating proposals to expand the bracket to 72 or 76 teams ahead of the 2027 championships.
• NCAA president Charlie Baker has held “good conversations” with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery about potential revenue arrangements tied to a larger field.
• Logistical hurdles around fitting extra games between conference tournaments and the Masters are a major factor delaying immediate expansion.
• Fan opposition remains strong—93.5% of nearly 12,000 respondents in a Field of 68 poll opposed growth—while coaches are split on whether adding teams would strengthen competition.