Is the NCAA Tournament expanding?

With March Madness approaching, I thought it would be a good time to check my sources around the sport to see where things stand with respect to tourney expansion. My intent was to report on the issue and give my readers an update, but as I worked on the piece a revelation came over me: expansion is actually a really good idea. So instead of a straight news story, I produced a deeply reported, well-sourced column arguing in favor of the idea. This is the first time I have made this argument in any forum and I wanted my Hoops HQ community to see it first.

This is the type of work you will find all over this newly formed, hard-charging platform. There is something about this tournament that people just love — and that includes all the bracketology and bubble talk that precedes it. A big conversation starter will take place today at 12:30 pm ET when CBS airs our annual bracket preview show. This is where the men’s basketball committee will reveal the top 16 teams and assigned regions heading into today’s games. I am in New York City and will be a part of that broadcast along with my partners Adam Zucker, Clark Kellogg and Jay Wright.

We’ve got lots of content to set up your weekend, including another quartet of futures bets from our Betting Editor Justin Perri, as well as my weekly picks against the spread. Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb has been all over the news lately, but there’s only one place where you can hear directly from Doug on how he manages all the controversy amidst an epic losing streak. We’ve got a women’s stock report and a column from Eden Laase about USC’s comeback win over UCLA, which was spurred by the incandescent JuJu Watkins.

I encourage you to read my column on expansion and let me know what you think. It’s going to be another great Saturday of college hoops and I am grateful to enjoy it with all of you. —Seth

It's Time for the NCAA Tournament to Expand. But Will It?

By Seth Davis

On March 26, 1979, Michigan State, led by Magic Johnson, defeated Larry Bird’s undefeated Indiana State squad in the NCAA Tournament final. That game garnered a whopping 24.1 Nielsen rating, which is still the highest for any basketball game, college or pro, in history.

The NCAA capitalized on that engagement, expanding the tournament from 40 teams to 48 the following year. After additional expansions over a few years, the field mushroomed to 64 teams in 1985. A 65th team was added in 2001, and 10 years later it nudged up to 68.

In other words, it has been 40 years since the NCAA Tournament has undergone a significant expansion. Forty years. The time has come for the tournament to expand again.

But will it?

Between the Lines

🏀 With football season over, all eyes are on the greatest sport in America. If your attention has been elsewhere, Faux Pelini has a cheat sheet to catch you up on the college hoops season thus far, and what to expect come March.

🏀 The women's Player of the Year award will go to one of these three stars.

🏀 Richard Pitino's coaching style is distinct, but he inherited his father's allergy to losing. Since 2021, Richard has made like Rick and transformed the New Mexico Lobos into monsters of the Mountain West.

❗ Now that we've gotten you in a March Mindset: We've partnered with Visit San Antonio and the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk to offer you a chance to win a trip to San Antonio during the men's championship weekend. Four elite teams will battle it out on April 5 & 7 for college basketball’s ultimate glory, and you might be there. Enter here!*

No. 1 Auburn @ No. 2 Alabama: We're set for an epic Iron Bowl showdown as the Tigers visit the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. These two national title contenders will meet for the first time this season with the nation's No. 1 ranking on the line. Auburn bounced back from a tough loss to Florida with a victory at Vanderbilt earlier this week, while Alabama has won seven games in a row, including two over ranked opponents. Buckle up for a high-scoring affair that should come down to the wire. It doesn't get any better than this! 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

*NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S./D.C., age 18+ (19+ in AL and NE, 21+ in MS). Void in AK, HI and where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts at 12:00:01 AM ET on 01/30/25; ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 02/24/25. Total ARV of prize: $4,900. Odds of being selected a Finalist will depend on the total number of entries received. For full Official Rules, click here. Sponsor: 42-18 LLC, 1633 Broadway, 47th Floor, New York, New York 10019