NCAA Basketball Tournaments Expand to 76 Teams in 2026

College basketball fans across Anchorage will see a longer tournament this season as both the men's and women's NCAA competitions expand their fields to 76 teams. This increase from 68 participants marks the first growth in the men's bracket since 2011 and follows the women's expansion in 2022. The change adds an initial round of games before the standard round of 64 begins.

The NCAA reports that 18% of Division I schools received tournament bids before this expansion. That figure represented the lowest participation rate among major team sports. With the new 76-team format, the percentage of participating schools rises to 21%. There are more than 360 Division I programs in both divisions, meaning most schools still will not make the tournament.

Greg Gard, head coach of the Wisconsin men's basketball team, supported the move during the announcement. He stated that more participation is always better given the low percentage of teams making the cut. Gard noted that the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball have all expanded their playoff structures to include more teams.

The new format eliminates the previous First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. Instead, an opening round will feature the 12 lowest-seeded conference tournament winners and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams. Six winners from each group will advance to join the round of 64. In the men's draw, Wichita, Kansas, joins Dayton as a host site for these opening games. In the women's draw, 12 of the 16 schools selected to host later rounds will also host one opening game.

The men's tournament begins on Tuesday, March 16, with three games each in Dayton and Wichita. Three additional games will occur in each city on March 17. The round of 64 starts on Thursday, March 18, in Pittsburgh, Omaha, Fort Worth, and Spokane. Round of 32 games follow on March 20 in those cities, with additional games on March 19 and 21 in Charlotte, Minneapolis, Louisville, and Sacramento.

Regional rounds for the men's tournament are scheduled for March 25 and 27 in San Antonio and Los Angeles. Kansas City and New York will host regionals on March 26 and 28. The Final Four will take place at Ford Field in Detroit from April 3 to 5.

The women's tournament continues its practice of having top 16 seeds host early round games. Those matches will be played from March 19 to 22. Philadelphia and Las Vegas will each host two regional tournaments from March 26 to 29. The women's Final Four is set for April 2 to 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.