The NCAA Tournament, long celebrated as one of America’s most exciting sporting events, is at the center of a heated debate over possible expansion. With talks of increasing the field beyond its current 68 teams, coaches across the country are voicing strong, and often conflicting, opinions about what’s best for college basketball.
Nebraska HC Fred Hoiberg recently added his comment to the conversation, sparking fresh discussion about the future of March Madness. In return, one analyst broke down how divided coaches are about this talk of postseason expansion.
Coaches Divided on NCAA Tournament Expansion as Tradition Clashes with Self-Interest
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander captured the essence of this debate in a recent post on X, writing, “While it’s undeniably true that plenty of coaches are in favor of expansion due to self-interest, there are also coaches who prefer the tournament as a 68-team event. Dan Hurley famously spoke out against its expansion amid UConn’s back-to-back championship run.”
While it’s undeniably true that plenty of coaches are in favor of expansion due to self interest, there are also coaches who prefer the tournament as a 68-team event. Dan Hurley famously spoke out against it expansion amid UConn’s back-to-back championship run. https://t.co/GlNpdPuXSj
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) June 26, 2025
Hoiberg, whose Nebraska team could benefit from a larger tournament after being on the brink of last-team-in/first-team-out in recent years, argues that the current format is already the pinnacle of American sports. He believes expanding the field could dilute the tournament’s intensity and tradition.
His stance is echoed by UConn’s Dan Hurley, who has been a vocal opponent of expansion despite leading his team to consecutive national titles in 2023 and 2024. He worries that adding more teams would make the regular season less meaningful and wouldn’t significantly help smaller schools, as most additional spots would likely go to major conference teams.
The divide isn’t merely one of self-interest. Many coaches in power conferences see expansion as a way to get more bids for their leagues, especially with the SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten expanding.
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Of course, at the extreme other end are traditionalists like Hurley and, formerly, Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, who feel the tournament is so special because it is exclusive.
Former Blue Devils leader, “Coach K,” has called the current model a “treasure,” but has noted some changes that need to happen, changes that he has continually referenced and stressed as their impact on the future, which are just not going to matter now.
“I wish people would stop talking about changing the NCAA tournament right now. It’s a treasure, it works, it’s beautiful. You don’t expand something not knowing what it’s going to fit into in the future.
-Coach K is not in favor of expanding the NCAA tournament field right now pic.twitter.com/E7YusTLjgw
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 14, 2024
There are financial interests, too, because the NCAA and its television partners feel expansion will generate more money from more games. However, there are certainly many naysayers who think money shouldn’t overcome the integrity and excitement of March Madness.
With NCAA President Charlie Baker seemingly pushing for a decision, the tournament’s future appears precarious. While the divide may continue to be heated, the coaching community is clearly divided, and the final decision could affect college basketball for years or even decades.
