Penn State does not have a strong history when it comes to postseason college basketball, but the powers that be may be moving closer to making it easier than ever for the Nittany Lions to go dancing more often in the future. Expansion of the NCAA men’s baksetball tournament is always being discussed, much to the chagrin of many, but it does appear the next expansion of the bracket is close to becoming reality.
According to a report from Ross Dellenger of On3, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is close to expanding from 68 teams to 76 (subscription required), with a 12-game opening round to accommodate the extra teams without disrupting the main bracket too much.
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A total of 24 teams would play in 12 games over the first two days of the tournament with a total of six games played at two different sites. Dayton, would remain the host site for half of these games, as it has been for play-in and opening round games since the bracket initially expanded from 64 teams to 65 teams. A new host site, expected to be more West, woudl host the remaining sites to make for supposedly easier travel for teams.
To many college basketball fans, there has been more than enough expansion of what has long been considered the best postseason tournament in sports. But for Penn State basketball fans, the chance to play in the tournament is not a luxury that is taken for granted, and this is a move that would seemingly benefit a program like Penn State.
Penn State has played in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament just three times in the 21st century (2001, 2011, and most recently in 2023). Penn State would have been tournament-bound in 2020 if not for the tournament being canceled during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, shutting down the sports world. Penn State would have been a bubble team likely to receive an invite to the dance in a few more seasons if the tournament was open to 76 teams.
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Whether you like it or not, the NCAA basketball tournament will inevitably expand. And for Penn State, this could be good news.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Why NCAA basketball tournament expansion will be good for Penn State
