The governing body of NCAA men’s and women’s basketball have yet to decide on the future of March Madness. On Friday, July 11, @PeteThamel on X reported that the committees for both sports have concluded their meeting sessions for a week and have yet to decide on the possibility of expanding the NCAA tournament.
March Madness currently starts off with 68 participating teams annually, starting with the First Four that determines the final four teams that will compete in the Round of 64. The next stages of the tournament includes the Round of 32, the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight, the NCAA Final Four and then the winner-take-all championship game.
“Sources: The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball committees have finished meeting this week and did not come to a decision or make a recommendation on tournament expansion. All options remain on the table, and discussions are continuing,” Pete Thamel tweeted.
Sources: The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball committees have finished meeting this week and did not come to a decision or make a recommendation on tournament expansion. All options remain on the table, and discussions are continuing. pic.twitter.com/sEFFdbRjKs
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 10, 2025
College basketball fans and spectators then reacted to the recent development of both sports in an assertively declining matter to the possibility of a tournament expansion.
“WE DO NOT WANT IT,” one user exclaimed.
“PLEASE DO NOT EXPAND!!! Sadly, no commissioner to choose long-term viability of the sport over short term greed,” another user pointed out.
“Good. Now, table the discussions forever and don’t bring them up again,” another said.
“I have an idea. Don’t,” a user shared.
Other users all over X then gave their own takes as to why there has not yet been a definite development from the NCAA committee.
“There’s not a great argument that adding more bubble and sub-bubble teams makes the tournament better. It only makes the NCAA/schools more money,” one user claimed.
“Maybe the outcry is giving them pause. I mean they wanna do it so bad, they’re just so scared to announce it. I don’t know, maybe that means it’s an awful idea,” another user posted.
“If they expand, do it for the right reason @CharlieBakerMA @ncaa Half of the additional bids should be guaranteed for mid major regular season champs that lose in their conf tournament,” a user wrote.
In the recently concluded 2024-25 season, coach Todd Golden’s Florida Gators and coach Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies were crowned as NCAA champions in men’s and women’s basketball, respectively.
A 72-to-76 Team Expansion For The NCAA Tournament Is Still Possible
Per Bryan DeArdo’s report in CBS Sports on Thursday, July 10, the possibility of a 72 to 76 team expansion is still alive given that this was their proposed goal for 2027 and beyond. The committee will meet again sometime in the near future but for now, the 2026 national tournament remains to be at 68 teams. The 87th edition of March Madness is slated for March 17 of next year and will conclude on April 6.
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