NCAA Tournaments to Expand to 76 Teams in 2027

The men's and women's basketball tournaments will feature 12 opening-round games under a new 76-team format.

Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a basketball player mid-air, emphasizing kinetic motion and arena light. — The NCAA will expand its men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams starting in 2027, adding 12 opening-round games. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Starting in 2027, the NCAA will expand both its men's and women's basketball tournament fields from 68 to 76 teams. The new structure introduces 12 opening-round games that lead into a standard 64-team bracket.

Why it matters

The expansion aims to provide greater access for teams while helping schools justify increasing investments in player compensation. Commissioners anticipate that power-conference programs will secure a significant share of these additional tournament spots.

In 2026, power-conference schools secured 35 men's tournament bids and 39 women's tournament bids. This expansion increases the total field size by eight teams over the current 68-team structure.

The players

NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the governing body that organizes athletic programs for many colleges and universities across the United States.

The details

Winners of the 12 opening-round games will advance to join the traditional 64-team bracket. This move follows a history of incremental growth, including the men's expansion from 65 to 68 teams in 2011 and the women's shift from 64 to 68 teams in 2022.

1939: The first men's tournament occurred with an 8-team field.
1982: The first women's tournament occurred with a 32-team field.
2026: Power conferences received 35 men's and 39 women's tournament bids.
2027: The NCAA tournament fields will officially expand to 76 teams.

Season Trajectory

The shift mirrors the historical growth seen in the 2011 NCAA men's tournament expansion from 65 to 68 teams. This adjustment significantly alters the selection committee's calculus and impacts how schools value conference-wide performance during the regular season.

The expansion increases the total number of bids available for bubble teams, fundamentally changing the math for postseason tournament eligibility. Fantasy participants and bettors should prepare for a wider range of high-stakes opening-round games that precede the traditional bracket play.

The takeaway

The move reflects an effort to keep pace with the evolving financial demands of college athletics. Fans should expect a more crowded tournament selection day as the increased number of bids changes the prestige and path of mid-major and power-conference programs alike.