NCAA expands March Madness to 76 teams for 2026-27 season amid structural changes to play-in rounds
The governing body will increase the field from 68 to 76 teams, with the primary structural adjustment occurring in the First Four play-in round which will now feature 24 teams across two sites.
The NCAA has confirmed the expansion of the March Madness tournament to 76 teams for the 2026-27 season, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from the basketball community. St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, speaking on social media and to reporters, has publicly questioned the validity of the pushback against the decision. He argued that the expansion benefits the sport by increasing excitement, television coverage, and athlete participation, asserting that the best teams will still advance regardless of the larger field.
Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach who has led six different programs to the NCAA Tournament, stated that he views the criticism as unnecessary. "When I hear people are upset the NCAA expanded to 76 teams, I think 'why and who cares?'" he wrote. He emphasised that the change allows more teams to experience what he describes as the greatest tournament on earth, adding that the quality of the competition remains intact because the top teams will continue to progress through the bracket.
The structural changes will primarily affect the First Four play-in round, which will expand significantly starting next season. Currently, the play-in round involves eight teams playing four games in Dayton. Under the new format, this will increase to 24 teams playing 12 games across two sites. While Dayton will remain one of the host locations, the NCAA has not yet announced the second site for the expanded play-in round.
The expansion does not alter the subsequent rounds of the tournament. The first round will remain unchanged, featuring 32 teams tipping off between noon and midnight ET on opening Thursday. Pitino clarified that the primary impact of the 76-team field will be felt in the days leading up to the first round, where the increased number of play-in games will take place.
Pitino's support for the expansion is not new, reflecting a long-standing preference for growing the sport to compete with football during periods of intense conference realignment. In October 2025, he told CBS Sports that expanding the field "can only help" and that adding eight games would not hurt the product. He noted that more teams mean more excitement, more TV coverage, and more athletes participating, suggesting that the potential downsides are negligible.
The coach's comments come as St. John's prepares for another season, having qualified for back-to-back NCAA Tournaments after missing out in 2024. His track record includes leading Kentucky, Louisville, Providence, Iona, Boston University, and St. John's to the tournament, giving him significant credibility in discussions regarding the governance and structure of college basketball.
