NCAA basketball tournament to expand to 76 teams

The NCAA has decided to expand both its men's and women's basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams. According to ESPN, the change will significantly reshape the long-running March Madness format.

The larger field opens up technical questions on how additional teams are seeded, how a wider play-in round (along the lines of the First Four) is arranged and how television windows are distributed. ESPN reported that conferences are likely to gain additional access for automatic or partially protected places.

March Madness is one of the United States' most-watched annual sporting events and has been growing its broadcast rights and sponsorship revenue. The NCAA has signalled that the expansion is intended to give more programmes a chance to participate while preserving the tournament's competitive balance.