The NCAA Division I Board of Directors formally approved the expansion of the NCAA Tournament from 65 to 68 teams next year.
The expansion will mean a “play-in” game for each of the tournament’s four regions.
A NCAA news release said board members saw the expansion as removing the “stigma” of the single opening-round game. The Board did not discuss expanding beyond 68 teams.
“Expanding to 68 teams gave us an opportunity to involve more teams in the championship, and in doing that, we were able to enhance the experience of the opening-round game,” said Board chair James Barker, president at Clemson. “Expansion enables us to give more exposure to the universities and provide more opportunities for student-athletes.”
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.
