How many teams are in March Madness?

From 2027, 76 teams make each March Madness tournament. There is a men's field of 76. There is a women's field of 76 too.

The short answer, and what changed

Through 2026, each tournament held 68 teams.

The NCAA announced a bigger field in 2026.

NCAA.com published the new format on May 7, 2026.

From 2027, each field grows to 76 teams.

That is eight more teams in each tournament.

It is the first men's expansion since 2011.

The women's field last grew in 2022.

Both tournaments change in the same year.

How 76 teams become a 64-team bracket

The main bracket still holds 64 teams.

It still has the same 63 games.

So the bigger field needs an early trim.

24 teams play in the Opening Round.

They play 12 games over two days.

The 12 winners move into the main bracket.

They join 52 teams that waited.

That makes the 64 teams everyone knows.

Read how the Opening Round works.

How teams get in

Every conference champion earns an automatic spot.

Win your conference tournament, and you are in.

The selection committee picks the other teams.

Those picks are called at-large bids.

The committee also gives every team a seed.

Seeds run from 1 to 16 per region.

The whole field is named on Selection Sunday.

In 2027, that is Sunday, March 14.

New to seeds? Read what a seed is.

How the field grew

The first men's tournament had just 8 teams.

That was in 1939, the first year.

The field reached 16 teams in 1951.

It reached 64 teams in 1985.

That year set the modern bracket shape.

It grew to 68 teams in 2011.

The First Four games came with that change.

Now it grows again, to 76 in 2027.

The women's tournament began in 1982.

It started with 32 teams that year.

It reached 68 teams in 2022.

It also grows to 76 in 2027.

What this means for your bracket

Your bracket still covers the main 63 games.

The count of picks does not change.

Selection Sunday just names more teams.

A few more small schools get their shot.

A few more strong teams get in too.

Pools, scoring, and deadlines work as before.

See how bracket scoring works.