NCAA Tournament Expansion Looms, Threatening March Magic
Is adding teams worth risking the quality of the tournament?
Expanding the NCAA basketball tournaments is back on the table, a move that could dilute the special formula that makes March Madness so captivating. While discussions were paused, the committees’ consideration signals a possible shift towards larger fields.
Money Talks
The relentless pursuit of revenue in college sports drives decisions, with conference commissioners and university presidents always looking to increase profits. According to Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of men’s basketball, “the still-viable outcomes include the tournaments remaining at 68 teams or expanding … in advance of the 2026 and 2027 championships.”
An expanded tournament would benefit insiders, administrators, and coaches. It would also appeal to fans from major conferences who want their teams to have a shot at the title, even after a mediocre season.
However, as Matt Norlander of CBS Sports has pointed out, adding teams wouldn’t create more opportunities for smaller programs, nor would it preserve the magic of the tournament.
Scarcity and Stability
Many institutions seem to think “more is always better”
in hopes of capturing audience and revenue. They often disregard the importance of scarcity and stability. Events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics are popular because they occur at predictable times and relatively infrequently.
Furthermore, the networks broadcasting those events reinforce their exceptional status through consistent presentation. The consistent timing and familiar broadcasts contribute to the perceived importance, telling people that those events are special, so people consider them special.
Preserving the Current Standard
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, as it has existed since 1985, meets that standard. Selection Sunday kicks off the excitement, followed by 32 games on Thursday and Friday. The Final Four in early April brings the tournament to a climax, with college basketball dominating the sports landscape for the month.
Casual fans adjust their schedules to watch games and follow previously unknown players. Adding more teams and lengthening the schedule would diminish the product, as evidenced by the lower interest in the “First Four” games in Dayton.
Growth of Women’s Basketball
While expansion of the men’s tournament may be controversial, women’s college basketball is experiencing unprecedented growth. For example, the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament final between South Carolina and Iowa drew a record 18.7 million viewers, surpassing the men’s final in viewership for the first time ever (NCAA.com).
Quality and quantity are not the same. More of the latter does not guarantee more of the former. The hope is that the NCAA’s decision-makers remember that before allowing themselves to forget it.