Dan Hurley cautions NCAA expansion erodes basketball regular season
UConn coach Dan Hurley warned that expanding the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams risks rendering the regular season meaningless. Hurley, speaking to CBS Sports, emphasized the value of a rigorous qualification process that intensifies play from November through February. The 53-year-old two-time national champion argued the tournament thrives as a privilege earned through strong regular-season performance.
The NCAA has not expanded the fields since adding three teams in 2011, bringing both tournaments to 68 participants. Hurley expressed fondness for close early-round matchups like 1-vs-16 and 8-vs-9 games but stressed the challenge of qualifying under the 64-team format. "You want it to be hard to get in," he said.
Under the proposed changes, eight additional at-large bids would create 24 teams playing 12 games across two sites on the tournament's first Tuesday and Wednesday. The traditional 64-team bracket would follow on Thursday, requiring those early entrants to win seven games for the title rather than six.
Hurley questioned whether excessive growth would dilute the event's prestige, insisting qualification must remain demanding to preserve its allure.
