The NCAA Tournament appears headed for one of its biggest format changes in years, and Miami should be paying attention. The move would not have changed much for the Hurricanes' men's team this past season, when Jai Lucas led a safe NCAA Tournament group into March. But going forward, a larger field could matter a lot for Miami and other ACC programs.
Sources: The NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to 76 teams. The expansion is on track to be formalized in the upcoming weeks, with mid-May as the target. The 76-team tournaments begin next year. https://t.co/2ZGUjZR0uJ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 28, 2026
NCAA Tournament moving toward 76 teams
The NCAA is still working through the final approval process to expand the men's and women's NCAA tournaments from 68 teams to 76 teams, with the change expected as soon as next season. The expansion still needs approval from multiple committees, but the move is in its final stages.
The current 68-team format has been in place since 2011, when the First Four was added. Under the new format, the tournament would add eight more at-large bids and move eight more teams into opening-round games rather than directly into the main Thursday-Friday bracket.
A 76-team bracket would include 52 teams placed directly into the main bracket, with 24 teams playing 12 opening-round games on Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday. Dayton is expected to remain one of the opening-round sites, while a second site has not been finalized.
What it means for the bubble and Miami
The more at-large spots means the more room for power-conference teams that fall just short in the current format.
That matters in the ACC. A team that finishes around .500 in conference play, stacks enough Quad 1 chances and avoids ugly losses could have a better path into the field than it has now. It also could make conference tournaments feel different. A team that once needed a run to the semifinals might only need one extra win to get into the expanded opening round.
The Hurricanes did not need an expanded field this past season. Lucas led Miami to a 26-9 record, a 13-5 ACC mark, the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament and the program's 13th NCAA Tournament appearance. Miami's 19-win improvement from the previous season tied the NCAA record for the largest one-year turnaround.
Miami earned a No. 7 seed and reached the second round before losing 79-69 to No. 2 seed Purdue in St. Louis. The Hurricanes led 40-38 at halftime before Purdue's defense took control after the break. Shelton Henderson led Miami with 18 points, Malik Reneau added 16 and Tre Donaldson scored 13.
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