The NCAA is expanding both its men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments to 76 teams, a change that was approved by committee members on Thursday and is expected to be finalized that day. The update increases the field from 68 teams to 76 for each tournament. Under the new format, eight additional teams are added to both the men’s and women’s brackets. An expanded opening round is also part of the plan, with 24 of the 76 teams participating in that first-round structure. Several outlets report that the decision applies to the next tournament cycle beginning in 2027, with coverage describing it as a significant change from the previous tournament size. The approval follows NCAA tournament planning discussions in which organizers sought to add games and increase opportunities for more teams to qualify. While the outlets differ slightly in emphasis—some highlighting the scale of the change and others focusing on the tournament structure—they consistently report the same core outcomes: approval to expand to 76 teams for both tournaments, adding eight teams, and introducing an expanded opening-round field.