Within a matter of months, the college football and basketball worlds are set for sweeping changes. After the AFCA approved future alterations to the College Football Playoff, the NCAA expanded the March Madness tournament field.
March Madness will now feature 76 teams. The expansion creates a more chaotic bracket and introduces a new wave of excitement.
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The same can be said for the College Football Playoff. While an expansion to 24 teams is not yet official, it appears inevitable following the AFCA vote. But an important question remains: are these expansions really necessary?
There’s no denying the motivation behind them — more games, more television broadcasts, and more revenue. In the era of NIL and revenue sharing, this outcome always felt inevitable.
But will expansion ultimately hurt the college sports product? The initial reaction from many fans is likely, “No way. This will only add to the excitement.”
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Postseason expansion certainly comes with benefits. However, it also carries significant drawbacks. Let’s examine the pros and cons of these sweeping changes.
Reasons for Optimism
Beyond the NCAA and universities cashing in on lucrative broadcast deals, fans stand to benefit from more high-stakes games on a consistent basis.
College sports deliver unmatched drama because, for many athletes, there may not be another opportunity tomorrow. While modern athletes often maximize their eligibility, the average student-athlete still faces uncertainty about the future.
The transfer portal, NIL, and looming eligibility limitations place greater importance on every game.
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That pressure creates a true “do-or-die” atmosphere — one fueled by upsets, thrilling victories, and Cinderella stories.
In the end, fans could be the biggest winners (other than the NCAA’s revenue).
Reasons for Concern
Any expansion carries the risk of oversaturating the market. College sports may be able to absorb that growth, but only to a certain extent.
One way leaders are addressing the expanded playoff model is by eliminating other postseason games. Most notably, college football appears poised to phase out conference championship games.
If that happens, fans of non–Power Four programs could lose the most. Realistically, many of those teams are unlikely to make deep playoff runs, but a conference championship still gives programs and fan bases something meaningful to celebrate.
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Expansion could strip that away.
Student-athletes may also pay a price through longer schedules and increased physical demands. Still, those consequences became more likely once athletes gained the ability to profit from NIL opportunities — as they should.
The question now becomes: how much more can student-athletes handle? Can they continue meeting academic expectations while balancing expanded seasons? Could their long-term health eventually suffer?
As long as the money continues flowing, the NCAA and universities will likely keep expanding marquee events — for better or worse.
But will these changes truly improve the future of college sports, or are they opening the door to unforeseen consequences?
