Analyst Jon Rothstein sends clear message protesting possible March Madness expansion

Jon Rothstein is making his feelings on a possible NCAA Tournament expansion clear. The CBS Sports analyst posted his take on the topic on X on Thursday.

"Dear America, I will host an open rally in Central Park to protest expansion of the NCAA Tournament if this chatter continues. If you don't live in the NYC area, you are more than welcome to fly in and attend. We must stick together if and when crisis occurs. Sincerely, JR"

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Rothstein is referencing recent discussions about expanding March Madness from a 68-team format to 72 or 76 teams, starting next season. NCAA president Charlie Baker expressed his interest in expanding the tournament at the Big 12 spring meetings.

Changes to the NCAA Tournament would need to be approved by the NCAA men's basketball committee. Baker said that he hopes to get a decision from the committee on expansion in the coming months.

"Our goal here is to try to sort of either get to yes or no sometime in the next few months because there's a lot of logistical work that would be associated with doing this if we were to go down this road," Baker said, according to Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel.

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Rothstein's take highlights that not everyone would be in favor of an NCAA Tournament expansion, and that some feel passionate enough to protest against it.

Jon Rothstein reflects on possible top teams for the 2025-26 season

Following news that Australian big man Alex Condon will return to Florida for his junior campaign, Rothstein gave some predictions for next season on X on Tuesday.

"CBB has a chance to have a repeat national champ in 2025-26," Rothstein said.

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Florida won the national title last season and will be looking to two-peat for the first time since 2006 and 2007. Condon pointed to the possibility of achieving a second consecutive championship as part of the reason for his return to the Gators.

"It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon said, according to ESPN. "We're not taking it lightly. ... Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team."

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Final Four-Florida Champions Celebration - Source: Imagn

Rothstein also highlighted runner-up Houston and Purdue as other possible top contenders. Houston is coming off a third consecutive season as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will look to secure the first national title in program history.

Purdue was a No. 4 seed in March Madness and fell to the Cougars in the Sweet 16. The Boilermakers will aim to make an appearance in next season's Final Four in Indianapolis, just over an hour from Purdue's campus.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by John Maxwell