Dan Hurley cautions NCAA expansion risks regular-season irrelevance
UConn coach Dan Hurley warned that expanding the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams could render the regular season meaningless. Hurley, who has led UConn to two national titles, told CBS Sports the qualification process creates intense pressure from November through February. He emphasized that tournament entry should remain a privilege earned through strong regular-season play.
The NCAA has not expanded the 68-team field since adding three teams in 2011. Hurley questioned whether a larger field would diminish the event's appeal, noting he values closely contested early-round matchups like 1-vs-16 and 8-vs-9 games but prefers the challenge of qualifying under the prior 64-team format.
Hurley said a key strength of the tournament lies in requiring six wins to claim the championship. Under the proposed changes, 24 teams would play 12 games across two sites on the opening Tuesday and Wednesday, with eight additional at-large bids; winners would then enter the traditional bracket Thursday and need seven victories for the title.
Such expansion would ease qualification requirements, potentially reducing regular-season stakes across college basketball.
