The NCAA tournament has grown steadily since its inception. Executives are “inching closer” to an agreement to expand the NCAA tournament to 76 teams with a 12-game “opening round” played at two sites starting in 2026-27, per @RossDellenger. The NCAA tournament, one of the last bastions of tradition and purity, is not immune. Protecting what makes March Madness specialMarch Madness is one of the most cherished sporting events in the world. But as the NCAA pushes toward 76, it must remember the core of what makes the tournament special: drama, scarcity, and stakes.