“Expanding the tournament fields is no longer being contemplated for the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball championships. However, the committees will continue conversations on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships," Gavitt said.

After missing the NCAA Tournament for the last three years, the Ohio State men's basketball team is projected to be safely in the field by Joe Lunardi.

The conversation about whether to expand the tournaments to 72 or 76 teams has been ongoing and will continue into the fall.