With postseason expansion discussions spreading rapidly across multiple athletic branches, NCAA president Charlie Baker added more fuel to the fire with his comments on the possible addition of more teams to March Madness.
College basketball’s postseason tournament features a 68-team field, but according to Baker, expanding it to include more programs is still on the table. The idea of a larger bracket featuring more teams has been floating around college athletics for years, but has yet to be realized.
Advertisement
This comes as the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and NCAA members continue to go back and forth about adding more seeds to a recently expanded 12-team playoff.
According to On3 Sports, here is what Baker said ahead of the NCAA’s mock seeding exercise at the association’s headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday:
While college basketball fans have expressed their concerns about the expansion’s impact on the competition and entertainment, the NCAA is thinking in terms of dollars. The association’s continued push for a new media rights deal, combined with March Madness already making the NCAA the most money each year, is a major factor in determining how many teams should be in the field.
Advertisement
For the Texas A&M Aggies and other Southeastern Conference programs, this could mean more potential openings to reach postseason play. Based on discussions held in October, the NCAA was considering adding 8 more teams to the postseason basketball tournament. If added, those programs would compete in the “First Four” play-in round before the opening rounds of the tournament begin.
Per On3 Sports’ Alex Byington, Kansas head coach Bill Self was among many coaches who reacted with mixed feelings to the news in the fall.
““Uh, you know, I would say my initial hunch would probably be no. But I thought it was no when we went from 48 to 54, and then no when you go from 54 to 64, and no when you go from 64 to 68 – you know, all that stuff,” Self said. “I don’t know if that’s the most positive thing. But, as long as The Masters is with CBS, and the (NCAA) Tournament is with CBS, you’ve got to squeeze everything into that three-weekend window. I actually have no answers, but my initial gut is I think we’re okay at 68.”
The men’s and women’s March Madness Selection Show is set for Sunday, March 15, with the First Four scheduled for March 17-18 and the first round starting March 19-23.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: NCAA president adds to rumors of potential March Madness expansion
