March Madness in 2026 is treating fans to instant classics. Santa Clara and Kentucky featured a half-court buzzer-beater, while Vanderbilt nearly hit one of the craziest game-winners ever before Tyler Tanner’s heave miraculously rimmed out, and No. 1 seed Florida is out after the first weekend.
Amid all the craziness, analyst Clark Kellogg isn’t opposed to expanding March Madness in the future despite the consensus being against expansion.
Why Clark Kellogg Supports Expanding the NCAA Tournament
Currently, March Madness has 68 teams, with eight competing in Dayton, Ohio, for four spots that round out the field to 64 teams for the first round. Expansion has been a topic of conversation to add more games to one of the most electric tournaments in sports. Although it would give more teams a chance to dance, many are content with the bracket as it stands and have voiced their opposition to expansion.
Kellogg isn’t ready to shut the door on expansion. In fact, if there’s a good plan and it’s not just for the sake of expansion, he’s in favor.
“Expanding for the sake of expansion? No. But, when you’ve got a rationale behind it – more teams create more spaces for opportunities for more players, I’m good with it,” said Kellogg.
“Expanding for the sake of expansion? No. But, when you’ve got a rationale behind it – more teams create more spaces for opportunities for more players, I’m good with it.”
– @ClarkKelloggCBS on March Madness expansion. pic.twitter.com/UiUq5xAcTQ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 24, 2026
Kellogg finds himself in a significant minority with college basketball icons like former coach Mike Krzyzewski and top college analysts arguing against expanding beyond the current field of 68 teams. March Madness has been a 68-team event on the men’s side since 2011. The NCAA has been considering expanding to 72 or 76 teams, and this change could happen very soon if it passes.
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Opponents to expansion, like Krzyzewski, use the bubble as a reason against expansion. The bubble was poor this season, with Auburn nearly making the tournament despite a 17-16 record. Although they had a tough schedule, this points to why the current field has enough teams.
Adding more teams would simply create weaker competition and leave these bubble teams with a greater margin for error. The teams on the bubble in 2026 limped into the postseason. The teams that struggle late in the season could get in if the tournament expands.
The debate will continue until the NCAA decides one way or another, with many hoping the magic of March Madness remains as is.
