sports

NCAA Tournament Expanding to 76 Teams in 2027

The NCAA is finalizing plans to expand both men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams starting in 2027, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The expansion will maintain the traditional 64-team bracket while adding eight additional at-large bids to the men's tournament. The "First Four" round will expand from 8 to 12 games, featuring 24 teams at two sites - Dayton, Ohio and another location west of the Eastern time zone. sport-ipl.my

While specifics for the women's tournament expansion are not yet known, an official announcement is expected in mid-May. This marks the first significant tournament expansion since 2011 for men's basketball and 2021 for women's basketball, when the "First Four" format was introduced.