NCAA moves toward 76-team field, widening pre-tournament play-ins

The NCAA is close to officially expanding the men’s and women’s tournaments to 76 teams for the 2026-27 season, adding more pre-tournament play-in games (eight more teams must win a play-in to reach the traditional 64-team bracket). TV rights talks are ongoing, with ESPN not expected to pay more for the women’s tournament while CBS/TNT are likely to pay modest increases for the men’s. The change is framed as boosting access rather than revenue and has drawn fan skepticism.