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.

The NCAA won't be expanding the men's and women's basketball tournaments ahead of the 2025-26 season. Senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt announced Monday any proposals to grow the field from 68 teams will be tabled until the 2027 tournament at the earliest:

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.