We already have a 12-team baseball postseason, an NBA play-in round, a 12-team college football playoff, an NFL Super Wild Card Weekend after a 17-game season, a Club World Cup and a 48-team World Cup. The NHL, MLS and WNBA have all either expanded recently, will expand again soon or both. Formula 1, which for decades ran between 14 and 18 races per year, is up to 24 in 21 different countries.
So it’s not altogether surprising that every league, everywhere, is looking to add more.
The NCAA men’s basketball committee is voting this week on whether to expand their tournament field from 68 to either 72 or 76 teams, and the women’s March Madness field is expected to grow as well.
The NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, officially ratified Tuesday, includes a move to an 84-game regular season starting in 2026-27.
