Pat Kennedy has seen the NCAA Tournament evolve from the inside — and he’s not sure where it’s headed next after the news that the men’s and women’s tournaments are expanding to 76 teams.
The NCAA announced the expansion Thursday, May 7.
Kennedy — the former Florida State coach from 1986-97 who also served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2004-05 — recalled how expansion has long been a topic of discussion at the sport’s highest levels.
“When I was at the NABC, we made recommendations to the NCAA on all aspects of the sport — contracts, rules, regulations,” said Kennedy, who resides in Tallahassee. “One issue that came up every year was tournament expansion.”
The idea isn’t new.
Kennedy pointed to legendary Maryland coach Lefty Driesell as an early proponent of pushing the limits.
“You remember Lefty, but he was one of the first to say, ‘Why don’t we just let everybody into the tournament? It would only take another week or two,’” Kennedy said. “That was obviously extreme, but it got people thinking about how far expansion could go.”
The tournament eventually grew to 64 teams — a format that defined March Madness for decades.
FSU men’s basketball last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2021, but the program appears to be trending upward under Luke Loucks. In his first season (2025-26), Loucks led the Seminoles to an 18-15 record. The women’s streak of consecutive NCAA Tourney appearances was snapped at 12 this past season, though fifth-year coach Brooke Wycoff is 90-60 overall.
Now, with the field expanding again, Kennedy sees both opportunity and uncertainty. It is the first time the men’s tournament has expanded since 2011, and the first time the women’s tournament has expanded since 2022.
“From a coaching standpoint, expansion can be a positive,” he said. “It gives more teams a chance and, frankly, it can help some coaches keep their jobs if they’re on the bubble.”
Questions remain even as NCAA expands basketball tournament
Beyond the immediate benefits, Kennedy said the bigger question remains unanswered.
“The concern you hear — especially from mid-major programs — is, what’s the end game?” Kennedy said. “Where is this all headed? Are we building toward one major conference, league of 60-something teams, with everybody else pushed to another level?”
That possibility, he said, has created unease across the sport. He also noted how stable the tournament once felt at 64 teams.
“You had Selection Sunday, the bracket, the structure — everything was consistent,” Kennedy said. “Now this is going to change things up again. I don’t know, but it’s still unsettling to me.”
For programs like FSU, however, expansion could prove beneficial. Kennedy remembers several seasons when his Seminoles narrowly missed the field.
“There were years we were told we were No. 65, 66, 67 — just outside,” said Kennedy, who led the Seminoles to five NCAA Tournament berths and two NIT appearances in his 11 years at FSU.
Still, Kennedy believes the impact may not be felt equally across the landscape.
“In reality, it probably helps more high-major programs than mid-majors,” he said.
The same dynamics, he added, are playing out in women’s basketball.
“The structures are becoming very similar,” Kennedy said.
“There’s a real push for equality in how the tournaments are run. The revenue may be different, but in terms of how the divisions are being run, there’s really no difference between men’s and women’s basketball now, which is a good thing.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: A 76-team NCAA Tournament? Ex-FSU coach wonders ‘what’s the end game?’
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
