This year’s March Madness is getting even more exciting—it will feature eight additional teams, which means more games and, interestingly, beer as a new component. Well, maybe wine could work too.
The NCAA revealed on Thursday that both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will expand to 76 teams next season. The change is aimed at boosting financial opportunities in a previously restricted alcohol market, increasing sponsorship possibilities.
“I don’t think this would’ve happened without that agreement,” Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, noted.
The upcoming 76-team brackets will accommodate eight extra games in the initial days of each tournament (12 games featuring 24 teams). This alters the usual “First Four” setup into a more expansive “March Madness Opening Round.”
From those 12 match-ups, 12 teams will advance to the traditional 64-team main event, starting as it usually does on Thursday for men and Friday for women. The tournaments will see 120 games played in a span of seven days to determine Sweet 16 participants.
“It looks different, but the essence remains pretty much the same,” said Amanda Brown, who oversees the women’s tournament.
Given that the extra games may not attract significant independent viewership, this marks the first tournament expansion in 15 years. The changes are expected to yield around $300 million in new revenue through sponsorships in the realms of beer, wine, spirits, and hard seltzers, along with increased advertising opportunities with networks like CBS and TNT as part of an $8.8 billion agreement lasting until 2032.
The NCAA plans to distribute more than $131 million of this new revenue to participating schools.
Big Conferences and Cinderella Stories
Out of the new spots, six are anticipated to come from the at-large selections, predominantly benefiting teams from major conferences that already make up a substantial portion of that category. Recently, the Southeastern Conference sent a record 14 teams into the men’s tournament, while the Big Ten had nine last season.
In a recent discussion, UW women’s coach Geno Auriemma remarked:
“This is essentially a way to boost profits for the Power Four conferences by allowing teams with mediocre records to enter the tournament,” he said.
Auriemma also raised doubts about the need to expand the women’s pool, citing that only seven of this year’s best 64 games were closely contested, compared to eleven in the men’s side.
This shift reflects broader trends, including significant growth in conferences—take the Atlantic Coast Conference, for instance, which has expanded from nine to 17 teams since 1996. Yet, it also highlights a reality where mid-major institutions often lose talented players to larger programs with bigger budgets. Essentially, the affluent keep getting richer.
Cinderella stories? No mid-major has made it past the first weekend of tournament play over the last couple of years, but the potential for grand surprises still exists.
That said, decision-makers seem less worried about such outcomes, as traditional viewer ratings often show a preference for well-known teams like Duke or North Carolina over lesser-known schools like St. Peter’s or San Diego State, especially as the tournament progresses to the Sweet 16.
Men’s tournament chair Keith Gill expressed, “We believe everyone’s interests have been taken into account.” He added, “Overall, we expect this to have a positive outcome, benefiting both top-tier and lower-tier schools.”
Unified Agreement by Conferences, but Power Conferences Stood Out
Gavitt indicated that no NCAA conference opposed the expansion idea, but it was evident that the Power League advocated for it the most intensely.
These schools are keen on ensuring that highly competitive teams are not sidelined in favor of lesser conference champions who can secure automatic invitations.
“Several very strong teams might end up seeded 9, 10, or 11, and we believe those should qualify for the 64-team bracket,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey mentioned in favor of the expansion last year.
Funds from new alcohol sponsorships will augment revenue distribution based on teams making strides through the brackets. Last year’s men’s tournament yielded approximately $350,000 per eligible team.
Additionally, some of that new revenue will support small businesses, giving all 16 and some 15 seeds a fair shot in the play-in rounds—possibly securing additional earnings if they win.
“We can also look forward to generating even greater opportunities as we elevate the sport of basketball,” Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistsil stated.
Leaders from major conferences recognize the pivotal role smaller programs have played in shaping March Madness while simultaneously increasing their influence in NCAA decision-making. This creates a subtle fear that the NCAA could fracture and lose its leading edge in basketball tournaments.
This expansion might help avert such concerns. The overall dynamics of television are not expected to drastically shift beyond the advertising side.
Gavitt mentioned that the new games will likely fit into a tripleheader format on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will seek venues alongside Dayton, Ohio, which has traditionally hosted the First Four. Then on Thursday, fans can enjoy a familiar tournament atmosphere with 64 teams competing. The action will culminate in the Final Four three weeks later.
As for what lies ahead post-2032? Gavitt shared it’s tough to anticipate, but expanding to 76 teams is about seizing current opportunities.
“Anything could happen after 2032,” he suggested. “Yet, we are confident that this structure will remain until then and likely beyond.”
