The NCAA has announced a major update to March Madness, confirming that both the men’s and women’s tournaments will expand to 76 teams starting in 2027.
The change is one of the biggest in years and will affect how teams qualify for the tournament and compete once they’re there. The current 68-team format, used for the men’s tournament since 2011, will expand by eight teams under the new structure.
NCAA Expands March Madness Field With New Spots Up for Grabs
Under the new structure, the total number of at-large bids will increase from 37 to 44, while automatic bids will rise to 32 with the Pac-12’s return.
This marks the first expansion of the men’s tournament since it grew from 65 to 68 teams in 2011 and the most significant change since 1985, when the field doubled from 32 to 64 teams.
The women’s tournament, which expanded to 68 teams in 2022, will now match the men’s tournament with a 76-team field.
NCAA president Charlie Baker previously explained the reasoning behind the expansion when discussing potential changes with conference commissioners.
“The point behind going from 68 to 72 or 76 is to basically give some of those schools that were probably among the 72, 76, 68, 64 best teams in the country a way into the tournament,” Baker said.
The expansion is expected to create more opportunities for teams on the bubble, especially late in the season.
NCAA Will Have a New Opening Round Format
Along with the expanded field, the NCAA will introduce a new format that replaces the current First Four games.
The new system will feature an “Opening Round,” consisting of 24 teams competing in 12 games. These teams will include the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and at-large selections.
The winners of those games will advance into the traditional 64-team bracket.
For the men’s tournament, Opening Round games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday following Selection Sunday. Instead of all games taking place in Dayton, Ohio, the NCAA will now use two host cities, with one expected to be located west of the Eastern time zone.
On the women’s side, Opening Round games will take place on Wednesday and Thursday before the round of 64 begins, with games held at campus sites that already host early-round matchups.
The NCAA also plans to place the Opening Round at the top of the bracket, with teams feeding into the main tournament structure.
The expanded format is expected to affect how teams qualify for and advance in the tournament.
Expanded March Madness Field Could Change Tournament Upsets
With more at-large bids available, teams that might have previously missed the cut will now have a path into the field. At the same time, the increase in teams could impact how lower-seeded programs advance.
Upsets have been harder to come by in recent tournaments. In 2025, no men’s team seeded lower than 12 made it out of the second round, and in 2026, only one double-digit seed reached the Sweet 16. On the women’s side, no team seeded lower than 10 advanced in 2025.
With more teams now included, deep runs could become even tougher for lower-seeded programs.
The idea to expand the tournament has been under discussion for some time. NCAA leaders first presented it to Division I conference commissioners in 2024, after reviewing several options, and decided on a 76-team format.
NCAA Announces Major March Madness Shake-Up That Will Change the Tournament in 2027