Tom Izzo Speaks His Mind on March Madness Expansion
Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans had a solid 2025-26 run, clocking a 27-8 overall record and 15-5 Big Ten record. MSU also had the No. 3 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 but lost to Connecticut in that game.
So, it was another winning season for Izzo, but the team had to watch their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, score the NCAA championship victory. That hurt.
Regardless, the Spartans are looking ahead to next season, and Izzo is also weighing in on the new, expanded March Madness.
Beginning with the 2026-27 season, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments are going from 68 to 76 teams. Also, the “First Four” is being replaced by an “Opening Round” featuring 12 games in two days.
Izzo is always one to speak his mind, and he’s doing just that.
“I understand it from both sides,” Izzo said about the expansion, according to CBS Sports. “I would rather it stay the same, but as you know, coaches weren’t asked at all. I like the excitement of where it is. Could it get better? I don’t know.”
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He added that one reason the move would be good is “because of what’s happened with these conferences. We have 18 in our conference (the Big Ten) and there’s so many more teams. It’s hard for everybody. It’s hard to please everybody. I was a Division II guy. I feel for the lower, smaller programs.”
But, in the end, Izzo made the remark that he hates to “break something that isn’t broken. And I know we went from 64 to 68. It’s like NIL. You can get to $10 million, you still won’t have enough. You can have $20 million and it’s not enough. If we go to 76, 96, it’s never going to be enough.”
My Analysis: The Good and Bad for March Madness Expansion
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I feel Izzo’s comments on if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The NCAA tournament has been a beloved event for so many years, and it’s done so with its current format. Adding to the teams and making the “Play-In” games go from four to 12 bloats the event and also brings down the significance of the regular season. But, on the other hand, it will also be nice for some teams that have never gotten a chance to make it into the tournament have their moment.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 9:44 AM.