"Conversation maybe lasted five minutes": Greg Sankey gets real on SEC coaches' response to NCAA tournament expansion plans 

It is possible that the NCAA tournament could be expanded to 72 or 76 teams next year. On Thursday, the president of the association, Charlie Baker, expressed that elongating the annual tourney is one of his biggest priorities. Now, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey gave insight on the 2025 Big 12 Spring Meetings.

Unlike Baker, who is keen on implementing the idea of having more than 70 teams in the elimination tournament, SEC representatives were more focused on other areas.

"I introduced the issue to our men's basketball coaches, which I think we've talked about with that group before," Sankey said via On3.com.

"I would guess then, given the other issues we had on our plate, that conversation maybe lasted five minutes. My points to them were, this is still a work in progress," he added.

Greg Sankey then shared the league's perspective on the NCAA president's initiative, revealing that he also pitched the narrative to women's basketball coaches as well:

"I didn't know that there was going to be kind of a press gathering. This is not a criticism. Charlie Baker spoke about tournament expansion, I think, the day after our basketball coaches gathered. I mentioned it to our women’s basketball coaches as well briefly. It didn’t really go anywhere.”

The main concept of March Madness has remained unchanged since 1985. It added the idea of First Four in 2011, which makes it a brief 68-team endeavor. At the time, the association even entertained the idea of expanding to 96 teams.

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Bill Self and other Big 12 coaches give a green light to NCAA tournament expansion

Fans have had varied take on the idea of expansion. Some believe the format is the best as it is while others like the idea of more teams being able to participate in the annual contest.

However, for the NCAA, the most crucial input will come from the coaches and the entire Big 12 is in support of the notion.

"Bill Self is speaking from Big 12 meetings in Orlando," Lawrence Journal-World's Henry Greenstein wrote on X/Twitter. "He said the league's coaches would be in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament."

The final number of participants for March Madness will be decided over the coming months and could be implemented as early as 2026.