St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino believes in giving opportunities to deserving college basketball programs that were snubbed by the Selection Committee when it selected the 68 teams that will compete in the NCAA Tournament.
So it is not surprising that Pitino would take a firm stance in favor of expansion, as evidenced by a social media post that douses opponents of the 76-team expansion.
Rick Pitino Stands Firm on NCAA’s Decision To Expand College Basketball Tournament to 76 Teams
The reaction to the decision has been negative at best, with some coaches, including Gonzaga’s Mark Few, UConn’s Dan Hurley, and Arkansas’ John Calipari, voicing their displeasure with the expansion.
Few told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander that the move is “unnecessary” and called it the “dumbing down of the regular season.”
The college basketball world expected Pitino to be among those opposing the change, but the veteran mentor surprised everyone with a social media statement Monday night.
“When I hear people are upset the NCAA expanded to 76 teams, I think ‘Why and who cares?,’” Pitino wrote. “The best teams advance and more teams get to experience the greatest tournament on earth.”
When I hear people are upset the NCAA expanded to 76 teams, I think “why and who cares?”. The best teams advance and more teams get to experience the greatest tournament on earth.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) May 11, 2026
The 73-year-old bench tactician has previously shared his views on NCAA-related topics and the current state of college basketball. During the 2024 Big East Media Day, he called for the creation of 18- to 20-team “super leagues” at a time when conference realignment was a hot-button issue.
Norlander had the opportunity to chat with Pitino about his expansion views during last year’s Big East Media Day. He stated that he is open to the change, believing that expanding the field will help deserving college basketball teams that were relegated to what the Selection Committee calls “First Team Out.”
“What makes the difference? I don’t think it could hurt, it can only help. Anytime you get more teams, more excitement, more TV coverage, more things to speak about, more athletes participating, it can only be a good thing,” he said.
“For people who say, ‘No, we got to keep it.’ C’mon. I was around when I think it was 24, 32 (teams) whatever it was. … In this situation, you talk about eight more games. … It doesn’t hurt anything. It only helps. … What bad could come from it?”
Pitino has appeared in several NCAA Tournaments and has witnessed these expansions unfold. He helped Boston University reach the 1983 tournament, where 52 teams competed for the national championship.
Years later, Pitino coached Providence and Kentucky in the tournament, where 64 programs compete for the title. He was in Louisville when the tournament expanded from 65 to 68, beginning in 2011.
He carried his college basketball success to Iona, where he helped the program reach the tournament in 2021 and 2023. He then transformed St. John’s into a Big East power, winning the conference regular-season and tournament double in 2025 and again this past season.
The 68-team knockout phase was a staple until this past season, when Michigan defeated UConn in the final. On May 8, the NCAA announced that the basketball tournament would award eight additional at-large bids starting next season to provide more opportunities for deserving teams snubbed by the Selection Committee.
