NCAA Tournament Expanding to 76 Teams in 2027

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.