By JAMES MADDEN & ADAM ZAGORIA
NEW YORK – The current President of the NCAA, Charlie Baker, spoke at the Big East Roundtable – The Future of College Basketball event on Monday about the ongoing rumors about a potential NCAA Tournament expansion.
Baker said he has seen so many programs be left out, that he feels are worthy of making the NCAA Tournament in recent years.
“I was bummed that St. John’s didn’t make the playoffs a few years ago [in 2024], because they were the only team that gave Connecticut a run for their money during the second half of the season,” Baker said. “The same year they ended up winning (the NIT), Seton Hall, another team you could’ve argued should’ve been in the tournament after the NIT.”
He also mentioned the 2024 Indiana State team that finished as the runner-up in the NIT, losing to Seton Hall, and said he wants “worthy” teams to be eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
There is still no framework for a potential tournament expansion, but Ross Dellinger of Yahoo reported last month that executives were moving closer to a 76-team tournament in 2026-27 with a 12-game “opening round” played at two sites.
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