Should more teams be added to NCAA Tournament? Bill Self, Big 12 coaches discuss
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Big 12 coaches express cautious support for expanding the NCAA tournament field.
- Advocates cite parity, mid-major growth; critics fear dilution and rising costs.
- NCAA committee to weigh expansion feasibility amid TV, NIL and funding shifts.
Talk of expanding the NCAA Tournament field of men’s basketball teams has persisted since 2011, when the postseason extravaganza grew from 65 to 68.
Most speculation involves inviting an additional four teams, or eight, for a Big Dance that includes 72 or 76 participants.
The Big 12’s 16 men’s hoops head coaches addressed the matter Wednesday at the Big 12 meetings in Orlando, Florida.
“There was a little bit that was brought forward and the consensus among the coaches was that, even though it (consensus) was very little, was we would be in favor of it,” KU coach Bill Self said Wednesday. “Of course I don’t know what the number would go to, but I do know that there were discussions about that.”
Supporters of tourney expansion cite the fact several teams have made the transition to Division I hoops in just the past several years, while the size of the field has remained the same. Also, representation of talented mid-major teams could grow if more teams are included.
Opponents say expansion could dilute the field and needlessly weaken what has been called the greatest event in all of sports.
Late last season, Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, said no vote on expanding the men’s and women’s tourneys was imminent. He said if expansion was approved this spring, a change might be possible as early as the 2026 tourney.
“It’s not taken in a lighthearted way at all because of the success of the (men’s and women’s) tournaments and how important they are to college basketball overall,” Gavitt told ESPN. “Expansion, even in a modest level, is complex, more complex than, I think, than has been recognized and reported, because it is expensive.”
Gavitt told ESPN that because of NIL deals, conference realignment and the transfer portal, men’s basketball might be able to handle expansion smoothly.
“There’s no sport that is deeper overall and has more parity than men’s college basketball,” he said. “There’s great basketball played at every level in men’s basketball right now. So I think it’s important to keep the tournament contemporary and relevant based on what is going on in college athletics.”
Reports suggest the NCAA men’s basketball committee will meet in person in July, and that possible expansion will be under serious discussion. A lot might depend on whether TV networks would increase payments to the NCAA to offset costs for flying additional teams around the country and the costs of hosting at additional venues.
Of course additional games would mean additional revenue from ticket sales, as well.
Self on Wednesday was asked about the theory that schools from the Big East Conference, which does not have football, might hold an advantage over teams from conferences that do include football.
About $20 million per year will be given from athletic departments to athletes in all sports in a revenue-sharing plan that would go in effect soon, if approved by a New York judge. The Big East, in this scenario, would have more money to give men’s basketball players — football would not be a factor.
“To that to the point about the Big East, not everybody’s operating under the same umbrella, so to speak,” Self said. “Some schools could potentially have an advantage, at least on paper. But there’s also some schools, if it was (a) totally level (playing field), that would have some advantages.
“I don’t know if you could make totally equitable all the way across the board for everybody. And certainly, there’s going to be outliers on every situation. But the biggest thing is for me, and I don’t know how Kelvin (Sampson, the Houston coach who joined Self in a news conference at the meetings Wednesday) feels, but the feeling is let’s get the settlement deal signed so at least we know what we’re operating for and we can move forward.”
The coaches on Wednesday also discussed the transfer portal. This past season, the portal opened after the NCAA Tournament’s first two rounds were completed. It remained open from March 24 to April 22.
“Personally, my team didn’t advance far enough in the tournament this year to actually be impacted,” Self said, “but Kelvin’s went all the way to the finals.
“I personally wish that the closing window (for the portal) would remain the same, but the opening window would be after the championship.”
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Should more teams be added to NCAA Tournament? Bill Self, Big 12 coaches discuss."
