The Indiana Hoosiers have participated in just two NCAA Tournaments over the last 10 years. Needless to say, that isn't going to cut it in Bloomington.
With IU fans hungry for a return to March Madness, Indiana's path to the postseason just opened up in a major way.
On Thursday, the NCAA men's basketball selection committee approved the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 76 teams. There are still a few formalities to finalize, but a 76-team tournament field seems to be on the way to becoming a reality.
The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball selection committees have approved the expansion of the NCAA tournaments to 76 teams, per @RossDellenger
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 7, 2026
The proposal is now expected to move through the basketball oversight committees before reaching the DI Board of Directors and Board of… pic.twitter.com/ghVe5yeOzs
Indiana basketball needs to get off the bubble in expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament
Over the past decade, the Hoosiers have mostly been a bubble team on the outside looking in of the March Madness field. Indiana was among the First Four Out in 2019, 2025, and 2026. Under the new 76-team format, the Hoosiers would have been dancing in all of those tournaments.
This past season, DeVries had the Hoosiers primed for a March Madness appearance in February, but an abysmal 1-6 stretch to close the season proved to be too much to overcome.
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The expansion to 76 teams eliminates any safety net for DeVries next season. Heading into his second season, DeVries and the Hoosiers must take advantage of a 76-team tournament field. Heading into 2026-27, it's imperative that DeVries improves on his 18-14 overall record from a season ago and gets the Hoosiers back to the big dance.
At this point, an NCAA Tournament bid in a 76-team tournament may be the bare minimum for what IU basketball fans want to see. Indiana may have stumbled into the tournament field this past season if there were 76 spots available, but it's clear that the product on the hardwood was not up to the standards that IU fans expect.
As March Madness continues to become far less exclusive, Indiana needs to not only get off the bubble, but put forth a tournament run. The program has struggled to gain national relevance over the last decade, but DeVries has a great chance to turn things around in a big way next season.
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