Mike Krzyzewski pushes back on idea of NCAA Tournament expansion: 'That's a big mistake'

With Selection Sunday approaching, the rumors of NCAA Tournament expansion continue to swirl. NCAA president Charlie Baker further expressed his desire to widen the field, but legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski pushed back.

Krzyzewski, speaking with The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, said the NCAA should turn its attention to other issues. He specifically called for a “leadership group” to help work through issues related to men’s basketball, which he recalled suggesting while he was an active coach at Duke.

When it comes to March Madness, though, Krzyzewski encouraged the NCAA to avoid changing the format. He called it “gold” in its current state, which is why he said it should stay the same.

“That’s a big mistake,” Krzyzewski said of expanding the tournament. “One, there are less teams capable right now than ever before and there are many have-nots, and it’s not their fault. I don’t think you mess with something that is gold. It’s gold.

“I think the thing you should mess with is getting a leadership group and having them study and see what happens with that group. It’s not just one person. They should run it like the NBA and have a staff and all [those things] and run it like a business. But I wouldn’t mess with gold right now, and the NCAA Tournament is certainly that.”

Rumors have swirled about whether the NCAA Tournament could increase from 68 teams, and Ross Dellenger previously reported details about a 76-team proposal. However, NCAA vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told reporters those conversations hit pause until after the 2025-26 season.

That said, Baker made it clear he’s still in favor of growing the field. He told reporters the same day that he prefers expansion as the conversations went on.

“We’re still talking about it,” Baker told reporters Feb. 19, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. “I’d like to see it expand.”

Per the 76-team proposal, as reported by Dellenger, the additional eight teams would be added to the current “First Four” play-in round – currently held on Thursday and Friday before the full 64-team first-round slate kicks off during the tournament’s opening weekend. The new play-in round would then feature 24 teams playing 12 games over two days. The winners would then join the other 52 teams already in the traditional first-round field that initial weekend.