Scoopfeeds — Intelligent news, curated.
sports

Which men's and women's basketball teams would NCA...

ESPN · Apr 29, 2026, 1:32 PM · Also reported by 1 other source

Key takeaways

  • After years of anticipation and debate, all signs point to NCAA tournament expansion as imminent.
  • ESPN's resident Bracketologists Charlie Creme and Joe Lunardi can answer some of those now, though, starting with which programs stand to benefit the most.
  • Lunardi: NCAA tournament expansion continues a multiyear pendulum swing in favor of power conferences.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

After years of anticipation and debate, all signs point to NCAA tournament expansion as imminent.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Tuesday that the NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men's and women's tournaments from 68 to 76 teams, beginning with the upcoming 2026-27 season -- prompting a litany of questions that will have to be answered when the NCAA makes its official announcement.

ESPN's resident Bracketologists Charlie Creme and Joe Lunardi can answer some of those now, though, starting with which programs stand to benefit the most.

Article preview — originally published by ESPN. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ESPN → More top stories

Also covered by

Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ESPN alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place. Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop