We are in the expansion era, after all.
Not that fan discontent has slowed down expansion talks. In fact, Yahoo! Sports insider and On3 contributor Ross Dellenger reported last October that further NCAA Tournament expansion “is becoming closer to reality.” And, based on discussions at that time, the expectation was that the field would likely expand from 68 to 76 teams beginning with the 2026-27 season.
Per the 76-team proposal passed around last Fall, the additional eight teams would be added to the current “First Four” play-in round, currently held on Thursday and Friday before the full 64-team first-round slate kicks off during the tournament’s opening weekend. The new play-in round would then feature 24 teams playing 12 games over two days before the winners join the other 52 teams already in the traditional first-round field that initial weekend.
Hell just expand it to 128 teams and let everyone over .500 battle it out until well into June. We have a College Football Playoff that starts in December and doesn’t end until darn near February, and they’re still not happy with that and want to expand to more.
Maybe the goal is to have year-round college sports. And, of course, the other goal is to have a year-round revenue stream.
“the other goal is to have a year-round revenue stream for bettors too”. Fixed it for you.
“The only goals…” Further FIFY.
The end goal is for the College World Series end before March Madness.
Ain’t interested till we’re in it! Hate everybody but us!! Go Dawgs!!!
But that’s the benefit! If they expand it enough, eventually we WILL be a tournament team!
Not so fast my friend.
If they’re going to expand, I don’t understand why they keep doing it in dribs and drabs. First, they added four more teams. Now they want to add 8 more. Hell, if you go from 64 to 128, that’s only one extra round of ball. Maybe the powers that be don’t want the optics of a 1 vs 32 matchup, but just adding the full 128 should stop the whining for another 5 years or so.
When faced with existential challenges to its existence, and when it’s needed radically new ideas for at least two decades, the best the NCAA has to offer is, “I dunno. Expand the tourney?”
they should set up the tournament inside the season- like the FA cup in soccer
all 128 are in but only the lowest teams play each other first… and you still finish in march… now that would add some juice… bettors would love it
Ask the NBA how their attempt to create an in-season cup competition went – one of the reasons it went nowhere is because it’s just the same 30 (32?) teams playing against each other, again…. National cup competitions in soccer are radically different than the NBA cup or any NCAA cup would be – that is one of (*the* ?) thing that makes them interesting….
Cue somber music…
“Every March dozens of elite young men around this great country of ours are left wandering the streets. Lifeless. Purposeless. All hope of their futures dashed. Hidden away in the shadows are these once valiant warriors now relegated to the sidelines no longer wanted nor to be seen in uniform. These are the Lost Boys of college basketball’s teams 68-128 in the rankings.”
Expansion…it’s for the children.