The NCAA Tournament, one of the most popular events in American sports, is on the brink of change. With the recent news that NCAA President Charlie Baker is considering expanding the March Madness field to 72-76 teams, fans don’t seem happy.
A recent Reddit thread on r/collegebasketball hinted at what the fans think about the shifting times with the new rules, especially the notion that these changes could occur as early as 2026. The discussions on the thread raise valid questions. Will this new path improve the mid-major programs or merely pad the field with power conference teams?
Reddit Argues Whether NCAA Tournament Expansion Is The Right Choice
User u/shizzle-787 sparked the debate by arguing that a 76-team NCAA Tournament field could breathe new life into mid-major basketball. According to them, expansion would preserve the NCAA’s structure by securing at-large bids for smaller conferences, preventing Power Four conferences from sidelining them.
Will potential NCAA tournament expansion be good or bad for the game?
byu/shizzle-787 inCollegeBasketball
“High mid-major conferences will regain visibility,” they wrote, pointing to leagues like the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley, which have struggled for at-large bids. They also noted that First Four games, like Xavier-Texas last March, drew two million viewers, pointing that fans are up for consuming more matches.
However, some fans pushed back, one commenter dismissed the idea, saying, “Everyone knows this is to put more big schools in the tournament.” Another argued, “If Duke has a bad season, we shouldn’t get in over a smaller school because of branding.”
Others called it a cash grab, with one stating, “The powers that be in college sports run this for the immediate cash, not the long run.” The fans’ primary concern was straightforward: they fear expansion favors powerhouses over underdogs.
Mid-major programs have long been the heart of March Madness, often offering Cinderella stories like Gonzaga in 1999 or Saint Peter’s in 2022. However, recent tournaments show a concerning trend: Power conferences claimed 80% of at-large bids in 2024, leaving leagues like the West Coast Conference and Mountain West almost overlooked.
The selection committee’s preference for metrics like NET rankings often favors P4 teams with tougher schedules, sidelining mid-majors despite strong records. Expansion could ease this pressure, offering 8–12 additional at-large bids.
The Big East, a power conference with mid-major roots, could greatly benefit from this new arrangement. Last year, it secured five bids, and u/shizzle-787 predicts it may secure six with a 76-team field. But the real test is whether expansion amplifies mid-major teams or drowns them out.
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“The only people who want this are the people most responsible for ruining the sport,” one fan shared on the thread.
In the end, expansion could be a lifeline for mid-majors, offering more at-large bids and national exposure.
However, without careful execution, it also risks bloating the tournament with mediocre power-conference teams, alienating fans who cherish the underdog spirit. The NCAA must tread carefully if it wants to preserve March Madness and keep its loyal fans satisfied.
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