March Madness Expansion: NCAA VP Dan Gavitt leaves door open for additional seeds after latest meetings 

The final verdict regarding a March Madness expansion remains pending, as NCAA basketball committees have yet to reach a conclusive decision. According to the initial timeline, an announcement concerning the potential extension is expected within the first few weeks of July.

The proposal being evaluated involves increasing the number of teams participating in both men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments from 68 to 72 or even 76, starting next year.

However, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, said Thursday that the committees require more time to examine the possible effects of the expansion.

On3's Pete Nakos reported the news on X/Twitter, adding a picture of Gavitt's official statement.

"The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees met this week, with the men's meeting taking place in Savannah and the women's meeting in Philadelphia," Gavitt said. "The topic of expanding the field for each championship was discussed at length but no decision or recommendation was made. The still viable outcomes include the tournaments remaining at 68 teams or expanding the fields to either 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2026 or 2027 championships."

The idea of expanding the NCAA Tournament field has been around for years, but it gained momentum last month when reports surfaced that the NCAA was pushing to enlarge the bracket. However, many coaches, players and analysts have opposed the expansion, arguing that it would diminish the integrity of the tournament.

Dan Gavitt says March Madness expansion includes major financial concerns

There are several factors at play when considering a March Madness expansion, more specifically, the financial implications. Every team that participates in the NCAA Tournament receives a share of money, and so if the tournament expands, there is less money to go around.

According to CBS Sports, Gavitt warned of the financial implications that would arise with the field expansion.

"Expansion, even in a modest level, is complex, more complex, I think, than has been recognized and reported, because it is expensive," Gavitt said. "It's expensive because of additional team travel, per diem, game operations, but also the basketball performance funds, the units that are earned throughout the men's and women's basketball championships."

While the decision to expand March Madness remains unresolved, the NCAA could come to a conclusion by later this summer.