NCAA Expands March Madness to 76 Teams Each

The NCAA announced Thursday an expansion of its men's and women's March Madness basketball tournaments to 76 teams each, starting next season, marking the first major change to the format in 15 years.

The move adds eight teams and eight games, expanding the play-in round from four to 24 teams competing in 12 contests dubbed the March Madness Opening Round. The 12 winners will advance to the traditional 64-team bracket, which begins as usual on Thursday for the men and Friday for the women. For the men's tournament, the opening round games will occur Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday at Dayton, Ohio, and another site to be determined, with three games each day at both locations. The women's games will take place Wednesday and Thursday on the campuses of 12 top-16 seeds that host early rounds.

The expansion stems from years of lobbying by coaches and administrators seeking greater access to the postseason. Most of the new at-large bids are expected to benefit power conferences such as the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern, which already dominate selections. For instance, the Southeastern Conference sent a record 14 teams to the men's field two years ago,...