The college basketball Final Four is here, and it’s already electric. On the women’s side, South Carolina just ended UConn’s massive 54-game winning streak to advance to the national title game on Sunday, while Texas and UCLA are set to tip off later tonight. Meanwhile on the men’s side, Illinois and UConn will be the appetizer before the titanic Michigan vs. Arizona matchup on Saturday night. Truly, March Madness is upon us.
The NCAA Tournament is one of the most beloved events in all of American sports. Whether you’re a fan of the men’s bracket or the women’s (or, like me, you enjoy both) there’s so much excitement in that opening weekend. Thrilling finishes, major upsets, and intriguing storylines have become intertwined with the games themselves, and even non-sports fans have fun filling out brackets and following their teams.
According to an insider, both NCAA Tournaments are about to get bigger — and perhaps better.
Insider Reveals Massive Update on NCAA Tournament Expansion Plans
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 03: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts during the first quarter against the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
On Friday night, as the chaos of the UConn/South Carolina Final Four game was unfolding, Yahoo Sports insider Ross Dellenger revealed the NCAA’s plans for college basketball tournament expansion. This has been rumored for years at this point, and recently reports have come out that the NCAA is serious about expanding the tournament brackets and it looks like we now have something definitive.
Per Dellenger, the NCAA is looking to expand both the men’s and women’s tournaments to 76 teams, with these plans to finalized shortly after the conclusion of this year’s tournaments. That would mean we could hear something from the NCAA directly as soon as Tuesday, potentially. According to Dellenger’s sources, this will happen “barring something unforeseen.”
Specifically, the plan would add eight games to the “First Four” play-in bracket. Currently, eight teams face off in a play-in setting to win their way into the full bracket. The March Madness brackets we all know and love are comprised of 64 teams (four 16-team regions), despite 68 teams making the initial field. Eight teams square off in the play-in — this proposed plan would add eight teams to each tournament, but 16 teams to the First Four games in total.
What Effect Would This Proposed NCAA Tournament Expansion Have on the Bracket?
GettySAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats cuts down the net after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 79-64 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 28, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The First Four games were added in 2011 and have largely been both popular and successful, adding an appetizer of sorts to the full tournament tipping off a few days later. If the First Four goes from, well, four games to 12, it might add an entire extra weekend to the tournament.
I am never one to complain about more college basketball. The NCAA Tournament has expanded before and each time it’s gotten more exciting. At the end of the day, this is of course about making more money. But it might prove to be equally as enjoyable for the fans, if they give it a chance.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Insider Reveals Massive Update on NCAA Tournament Expansion Plans appeared first on Heavy Sports.