In 1939, the inaugural NCAA men’s basketball tournament had eight teams. It expanded to 16 teams in 1951, jumped up to 32 teams in 1975, and then doubled to 64 teams in 1985. In 2001, an opening-round game was added; in 2011, three more games were introduced to that round, making it a 68-team field.

While this decision was finalized for the upcoming season, NCAA SVP Dan Gavitt did release a statement saying that the committees will continue exploring tournament expansion for the 2026-27 season. That potential expansion they are still exploring would be to 72 or 76 teams.

The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments will not expand beyond 68 teams in 2026, but future growth remains on the radar. “Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships,