NCAA Tournament faces challenges for underdog teams in expanded format
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Nov 1, 2026, 1:43 PM
Last updated Nov 1, 2026
The NCAA Tournament is set to expand to 76 teams for the upcoming season, creating new challenges for smaller schools. Experts suggest the expanded field may favor larger conferences, making it harder for traditional underdogs to advance. With rising payrolls and player movement due to the transfer portal, programs once considered Cinderella stories are struggling. Historical contenders like Gonzaga and Butler have shifted from underdog status, and many mid-major teams have been absorbed into larger conferences, reducing their chances of making significant tournament runs. This changing may alter how underdogs are perceived in college basketball.
- •NCAA Tournament expands to 76 teams for the 2026-27 season
- •Small schools face tougher competition from larger conferences
- •Cinderella stories like Gonzaga have transitioned to power programs
- •Historical mid-major teams are leaving for bigger leagues
- •Rising player movement complicates recruitment for smaller schools
- 1:43 PMYahoo Sports — So long, slipper: Why Cinderella will be harder to find at March Madness this season
"Much of the magic March Madness churns out every year comes from pitting small schools with names and players few people have heard of against the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world at a time when everyone seems to be watching. What makes it even better is that, sometimes, those teams win.
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