March is already here and all eyes soon will be glued to watch college basketball conclude the 2023-24 season. The same buzzer-beating thrills are all set to unravel on the TV screens. However, there’s one particular thing that is bothering the fans and NBA legend, Charles Barkley. The possibility of the March Madness expansion has caused a stir among analysts and fans. 

There has been no official update on the matter. However, as per sources, there are rumors of more teams getting included in the NCAA tournament. Currently, 68 teams are participating in the tournament. Making a change in the format, there is a 72- or 76-team expansion expected to happen in the future. While that will certainly create a disruption in the televised tournament, Barkley is also worried about the extra games young athletes would have to play. 

Speaking on the possibility of the March Madness expansion, Chuck candidly said, “Listen, why y’all have to mess up everything? That’s why we can’t have nice things in America. Don’t expand March Madness. Don’t do it.” Furthermore, the Philadelphia 76ers legend explained, “You’re gonna have these kids out there killing themselves…Shorten the season, and don’t have these kids playing all these games because we can’t have five hundred teams playing damn more games, idiots.”

It won’t be 96 teams as previously suggested by the NCAA Division I committee, however, an extension of 4 more teams is still highly probable as per sources. 

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Is March Madness expansion the right decision?

While the plan for tournament field expansion isn’t finalized, many are in favor of the decision. Some even consider it the best decision. As per sources, there’s a lingering concern about power conference schools considering their own postseason if the tournament format remains unchanged.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is one of them. In an interview with ESPN, Baker shared, “I certainly think there’s an opportunity there to do more – find a way to bring more teams into the tournament.” Back in 2022, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips shared, “More access, more opportunity for more young men and women. There’s a lot of positives to that.” 

Nevertheless, bringing in more teams is likely to invite its own set of challenges. The specific teams deemed eligible for inclusion are a topic of ongoing discussion, while a broader field will also see a reduction in earnings for schools, given that the broadcasting revenue will be distributed among a larger number of teams.

Many also suggested how the extension would ruin the regular season as well as March Madness. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.

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