Tournament expansion is upon us once again.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the NCAA is pushing to expand the March Madness field from 68 to 76 teams, and the process appears to be in the final stages of being formalized. Specifically, Thamel states that the expansion process could be a done deal by as soon as Thursday.
The Indiana Hoosiers just missed out on March Madness this past season, as IU was among the handful of bubble teams that ended up on the outside looking in. The Indiana basketball program has now missed the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons and in eight of the last 10 years.
But if the 76-team field becomes official, it would leave DeVries with zero excuses for next season.
76-team tournament field opens the door for Darian DeVries, and he has to take advantage
DeVries ended his first season in Bloomington with an 18-14 overall record and a 9-11 mark in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers looked like a surefire tournament team in early February, as they held an overall record of 17-8 and were 8-6 in conference play. However, a 1-6 stretch to end the season ultimately doomed Indiana's March Madness hopes.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, DeVries addressed the potential of a 76-team field and what it would mean for college basketball and the IU program.
"It's kinda like the portal and everything that we have right now. We just roll with what they tell us the rules are, so the expansion is what it is. It went from 64 to 68 and now we're going from 68 to 76, and people will be on both sides of whether they like it or don't like it. I think for all of us, we love the opportunity, you know, to get in there and we'll see how it plays out."Darian DeVries
Head Basketball Coach DeVries talks about the new expansion this upcoming season #iubb pic.twitter.com/MHkov3J1ea
— Hoosier Huddle (@Hoosier_Huddle) May 7, 2026
As DeVries points out, fans out there will be torn on their view of tournament expansion. On one hand, more postseason basketball games are created, which can always be entertaining. At the same time, a 76-team tournament field could diminish the value of the regular season and result in undeserving teams getting into the NCAA Tournament. In turn, that could take away some of the lore of March Madness.
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But one thing is for sure: DeVries has to use the expanded tournament field to his advantage. Hoosier basketball fans are hungrier than ever for a March Madness run, and DeVries wouldn't do himself any favors by missing out on a 76-team tournament next season.
The Hoosiers have made some impressive moves in the portal, and at least on paper, the talent appears to be there for Indiana to be a tournament team in 2026-27. But now it's up to DeVries to put it all together and get the results Indiana basketball fans want to see.
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