The Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament currently consists of a 68-team field, which is a big reason why it is one of the most entertaining postseasons in all of sports. Surprisingly, legendary former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski recently made the case for the field to be expanded even more.
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports recently reported earlier this month that there are indeed talks of an expansion to a larger NCAA Tournament field.
On Tuesday, Krzyzewski laid out the reasoning for why he would be in favor of a potential expansion in a discussion with ESPN’s Chris Spatola.
“Only 20 percent of teams that play Division-1 college basketball get postseason play in the tournament. In college football two-thirds of the teams in top Division-1 get bowl games. I would like to see more access. I’d like to see more credit being given to the teams that have done well to celebrate our sport.”
Should we expand the NCAA Tournament or is it perfect the way it is?
Coach K isn't opposed to expanding the tournament and explains why to Chris Spatola.
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— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) February 19, 2024
As for how Coach K would go about increasing the teams, he added that he would consider either doing away with the conference tournaments at the end of the year or reducing them to only the top teams.
“I think it’s a deep look into the tournament and what can be done. Instead of the conference tournament, even though it makes a lot of money, is there something in between the regular season and the tournament that would add to the game but also to give recognition to the teams who have had terrific seasons? Football does a much better job of that.”
It’s an intriguing possibility from Krzyzewski that could add interest to an already great NCAA Tournament that generates a ton of buzz each year. But there is also the argument that an increase in teams could dilute the tournament as a whole and add increased teams that don’t really deserve a spot.
Regardless, a potential expansion could be coming sooner rather than later.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.