Monday was a big win for basketball fans who prefer the NCAA Tournament to remain untouched, but expansion still looms

“Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships. However, the committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships," Gavitt said.

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.