NCAA Tournament expansion has been a contentious issue for quite some time. Many fans remain firmly against the idea, convinced that the current format of March Madness is already perfect. However, television executives see the potential for increased revenue from such an endeavor. Former ESPN president John Skipper was a vocal supporter of NCAA Tournament expansion when the rights for the men’s competition were being negotiated.
In a recent episode of The Sporting Class podcast, Skipper disclosed that ESPN had vigorously pursued NCAA Tournament rights and aimed to “immediately” expand the tournament to 96 teams. “We proposed immediately taking the tournament to 96 teams,” he explained to co-hosts David Samson and Pablo Torre. “We insisted on going to 96, and they did the great thing that the NCAA always does, which is they do something dumb which is, ‘Let’s go to 68.’ It’s perplexing why the response to a proposal to go from 64 to 96 teams would be to settle on 68, especially when it would result in more games and include 32 teams with a first-round bye.”
To ESPN’s credit, they had a compelling argument. During the negotiations, CBS was unable to air all NCAA Tournament games independently, opting instead to broadcast regional action in the early rounds. With its multiple linear networks, ESPN could have accommodated every game. This scenario ultimately led to the modern partnership between CBS and Turner Sports, which provided the NCAA with the television slots necessary to air every game without allowing ESPN, humorously referred to as the “evil empire” by Skipper, to dominate the men’s college basketball postseason and alter its structure fundamentally.
Meanwhile, CBS and Turner executives have consistently maintained that any discussions about NCAA Tournament expansion should be approached cautiously. Recently, CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson and TNT Sports chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser emphasized the need for careful consideration regarding expansion. “This is an event that captivates the country for three weeks every year. There’s nothing, nothing like March Madness. So as they’re looking to see if there are tweaks to be made, I think everyone’s just being really diligent and smart and careful,” Berson stated during a pre-tournament press conference. “While we might want to enhance it given the changes in the college landscape that can justify expanding by a few teams, no one wants to do anything that’s going to detract from how special this tournament is.”
While it’s undeniable that expanding to 96 teams could significantly increase television revenue, the crucial question remains: would such expansion improve the tournament’s quality? Many argue it likely would not. This balance is a critical consideration in today’s college sports environment, where revenue generation often takes precedence. It’s refreshing to witness television executives prioritizing the fan experience.
If CBS and Turner had not collaborated over a decade ago to prevent ESPN from acquiring tournament rights, it is probable that March Madness as we know it today would have evolved into something markedly different.
