NCAA President Charlie Baker Considers 2026 Tournament Expansion
NCAA President Charlie Baker recently expressed the possibility of expanding the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in 2026. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, he stated that it remains to be seen if these upcoming tournaments will maintain the current format of 68 teams.
Potential Tournament Expansion
Baker mentioned that discussions are underway regarding the inclusion of additional teams, potentially expanding the tournament field to 72 or 76 teams starting in 2027. He emphasized that while he favors expansion, no definitive decisions have been reached yet.
A Historical Perspective
Reflecting on his tenure as a basketball player at Harvard in the 1970s, Baker recalled how the tournament expanded from 22 to 32 teams. From 1979 to 2011, there were seven more expansions, culminating in the current format of 68 teams. Despite initial resistance to each expansion, Baker noted, “Everyone thought the world was going to come to an end, and it didn’t.”
Concerns About Fairness
There are apprehensions that the additional slots may disproportionately benefit mid-tier or lower-tier teams from power conferences. However, Baker expressed skepticism regarding this notion, questioning who would ultimately receive those bids.
Bracket Analysis
The NCAA has identified the “first four out” teams that would potentially benefit from an expanded bracket. Notably, in both 2024 and 2025, three of the teams on the bubble belonged to power conferences, while in 2023, all four were from the same category.
- Current bracket watch includes eight teams on the cusp of entering the tournament:
- Power Conference Teams:
- Miami (ACC)
- Virginia Tech (ACC)
- Ohio State (Big Ten)
- Missouri (SEC)
- Oklahoma State (Big 12)
- Non-Power Conference Teams:
- George Mason (Atlantic-10)
- VCU (Atlantic-10)
- Santa Clara (West Coast Conference)
Current ESPN projections show a similar distribution for potential seeds 69 to 76, with five from power leagues and three from non-power leagues in the men’s tournament. For the women’s tournament, a 6-to-2 split is anticipated.
As discussions surrounding the expansion of the NCAA basketball tournaments continue, the implications for teams across various conferences remain a hot topic in the world of college sports.
