The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011. The change introduced the First Four round, a set of pre-tournament games in which the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded conference champions compete for spots in the traditional 64-team bracket.

Thanks to the NCAA's decision, this conversation isn't going anywhere. While the 2026 tournament is sticking to 68 teams, that's far from a permanent feature of college basketball's postseason.

The 68-team NCAA Tournament format isn't going anywhere ... for now. The Division I men's and women's basketball committees decided Monday to keep the field size as is for the 2026 tournaments, though expansion still looms.