The NCAA announced on Thursday that both its men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments will expand to 76 teams each, starting next season. This marks the first expansion in 15 years, after the tournaments grew to 68 teams in 2011, according to CNN.
The new 76-team format will introduce eight additional games involving 24 teams during the opening stage of the tournaments. The phase previously known as the “First Four” will now be renamed the “March Madness Opening Round.” The 12 winners from this stage will advance into the traditional 64-team bracket, which begins Thursday for the men’s tournament and Friday for the women’s, CNN reported.
Revenue and expanded advertising
A major reason behind the expansion is the potential for increased revenue. The NCAA expects participating schools to receive more than $131 million in additional revenue through expanded television advertising opportunities. According to CNN, this includes broader alcohol advertising, which had previously faced restrictions. The NCAA’s media rights deal is also expected to increase in value by an average of $50 million annually over the next six years. The current television contract for the men’s tournament alone is worth $8.8 billion and runs through 2032.
CNN described March Madness as one of the NCAA’s most lucrative and widely viewed events, with the expansion reflecting an effort to further capitalize on its commercial success. Last season, for example, the Big Ten conference reportedly earned nearly $70 million from the tournaments, driven largely by deep runs from Michigan in the men’s bracket and UCLA in the women’s competition.
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Power conferences likely to gain most
Although the NCAA says the expansion is intended to create greater access, most of the eight new spots are expected to go to schools from major conferences. According to CNN, this reflects the growing dominance of power conferences as mid-major programs increasingly struggle to compete financially and retain top players.
Keith Gill, chairman of the Division I men’s basketball committee, told CNN that the expansion is “a nice way to create some access but make sure we have the bracket we all love when we start Thursday at noon.”
Recent tournament trends highlight the imbalance. Two years ago, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) placed a record 14 teams into the men’s tournament, while the Big Ten received nine bids last season. Meanwhile, no mid-major program has advanced beyond the opening weekend of either the men’s or women’s tournaments over the last two years, CNN noted.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who previously supported tournament expansion, argued that strong teams seeded around ninth, 10th or 11th should have a better chance of making the main bracket. According to CNN, his comments reflect a growing push from major conferences to ensure their programs receive additional opportunities in college basketball’s biggest postseason competition.
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Sources: edition.cnn.com
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