It is now official that the NCAA Tournament, at least for 2026, will not expand beyond 68 teams. This news, news of something that was proposed but then denied, has the vast, vast majority of people with opinions and interests happy and pleased, which makes one wonder why expansion was pushed for so hard in the first place. Regardless of whether or not it happens in a later season, it won’t happen for this next one. Here are three immediate takeaways from the news:
1. The Last Four In will still be Final Four capable
Right now, at 68 teams, the NCAA Tournament Bubble hangs just high enough that teams have to fight hard to clear the bar, but just low enough that the teams good enough to make Final Four runs aren’t snubbed. Twice, teams from the Last Four In have gone from the First Four to the Final Four, and as long as the worst at-large team is still capable of that, the Bubble can’t be said to be too big in my opinion.
2. More SEC and Big Ten teams won’t dominate the bracket
Go to 76 teams, and count how many of those extra eight spots are 17-15, 16-16, or even 15-17 SEC and Big Ten teams. Teams from those conferences will hardly even have to try in order to make the field, and will be practically buying their NCAA Tournament bid with NIL.
3. Some stability…and sanity.
College sports have been flipped upside down and turned inside out this decade, and it seems like anything can be chucked out the window regardless of what the impacts will be. With so much change and upheaval every year with NIL, conference realignment, and House bills, if the NCAA Tournament is expanded against the wishes of the vast majority of stakeholders, then what will be next? A power conference breakaway from the NCAA? An 82-game season like the NBA? Why change things just for the sake of change when there’s already been so much of it?