MARCH MADNESS
NCAA on track for expanded 76-team March Madness
NCAA releases statement clarifying no final decisions have yet been made
The NCAA is still deliberating expanding March Madness on both the men's and women's sides to 76 teams for next season 鈥� a much-expected development that's been in the works for years.
The NCAA released a brief statement Tuesday in the wake of an ESPN report that cited unnamed sources saying a decision to add eight teams to the bracket is a mere formality that's expected in May.
鈥淓xpanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,鈥� the statement said.
Earlier this month at the Final Four, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the committees would, in fact, return to discussing the expansion once this year's tournament was over.
The tournaments have been at 68 teams since 2011, when four play-in games were added to the beginning of the first week of play. The new format would add eight more at-large teams and take eight more teams out of the main bracket for play-in games.
According to metrics released by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, UNM was well within the final eight teams left out of the March Madness tournament this past season.
"NCAA Tournament expansion provides additional opportunities which should benefit us,鈥� UNM men鈥檚 basketball head coach Eric Olen said Tuesday. 鈥淗owever, the scheduling challenges all of the programs at our level face will continue to ensure the majority of at-large bids, including any extra bids, go to (high major) schools. We will always focus on playing great basketball because that鈥檚 the only path to making the NCAA Tournament."
Lobo women鈥檚 head coach Amy Eagan, who is entering her first season at the helm, had similar sentiments.
鈥淥ur focus is earning our way in, no matter the format,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hether it expands or stays the same, we want to build a program that鈥檚 consistently in that conversation.鈥�
The expansion isn't expected to generate a lot more income because it will only add games early in the first week. The current TV deal runs through 2032 and could be tweaked slightly.
Regardless of finances, the expansion would give power conferences more chances to place teams in the bracket 鈥� a growing concern as those conferences seek more power and control over college sports in the era of name, image and likeness compensation and the transfer portal.
