We’ve been saying for a few years that this is a new era of college basketball. It is true that over the last half a decade, the sport has changed, mostly off the court, in terms of the impact money is having on college basketball. The summer of 2026, however, may be pointed to as the time that the new era of college basketball was ushered in, or some might say forced upon us. Most, if not all, of the incoming changes have been discussed for a while, so none of them come as a surprise. Even though these changes still have some hurdles before implementation, seeing them all come to fruition (eventually), whether we think those changes are for the better or worse, is a blow to the traditionalists who miss the sport as it was when they were kids.
The most talked-about change is the expansion of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from 68 teams to 76. Tournament expansion isn’t the only change that is taking big steps forward this summer. A new 5-year eligibility rule also appears set to be implemented, potentially as soon as this academic year. The other changes are linked together in that they illustrate how much the money game (in football and basketball) has ballooned out of control. Streaming services have begun striking deals with universities, third-party private equity firms are getting involved with power conferences, and all of that is helping lead to schools dropping Olympic sports to save money.
The NCAA Tournament expands to 76 teams
Earlier this month, tournament expansion cleared its biggest hurdle to being implemented this season. The 76-team field was approved unanimously by multiple committees. Despite nearly unanimous dissent from fans and media alike, what we thought was a perfect event as we could get will be tinkered with yet again, all in the name of the mighty dollar. The expanded field means an expanded opening round that will now see 12 games split between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dayton will remain a host site, and a yet to be determined site further west will be added for Tuesday and Wednesday to accommodate the larger field. What this means for bracketing purposes is that the last 12 at-large teams and the last 12 automatic qualifiers will play in opening round games. While that may be good for the automatic qualifiers who no doubt benefit from tournament win shares, the question remains: Will those new at-large spots go to upper-level mid-major teams or middling power conference ones?
Players will have five years of eligibility (not six, or seven, or more)
Another major change likely to be adopted this season will give players and coaches greater clarity on eligibility. If approved, gone will be redshirt seasons, inexplicable waivers, and players in school for six, seven years, or even longer. The NCAA's proposal is a straight five years of eligibility, with very few exceptions. This "five in five" proposal is an age-based model where players would get five years of eligibility after graduation or their 19th birthday, whichever comes earlier. Coaches would no longer have to redshirt players as a means of preserving a player's eligibility. There would also be no more waivers given out for hardships. The only waivers available to athletes would be for religious missions, military commitments, and pregnancy. Coaches have long asked the NCAA for guidance on things that are causing chaos, such as the transfer portal and eligibility standards. It looks like this is a step in the right direction to lessen the confusion for everyone.
Streaming services and private equity firms enter the world of college sports
Two other changes go hand-in-hand because they could lead to either more opportunities or open a can of worms, depending on your perspective. With the amount of money being thrown around college football and basketball, while at the same time, schools and conferences are wondering where that money is going to come from, it's no surprise that streaming services and private equity firms are dabbling in college athletics. Duke inked a multi-year deal with Amazon Prime to stream some of their games next season. The deal, the first of its kind, will see the streaming service carry three big non-conference tilts involving the Blue Devils. The first game takes place on Thanksgiving Eve in Las Vegas as Duke does battle with UConn. Then, a few days before Christmas, they take on the defending champs, Michigan, in New York City. In the midst of conference play, the Blue Devils take a break to travel to Detroit to take on Gonzaga in February. As teams continue to look for more revenue streams, expect to see more of these deals as the monetary arms race heats up in college athletics.
In another landmark agreement, the Big 12 Conference has signed a deal with the private equity firm Red Bird Capital. The conference signed the deal in hopes of opening more revenue streams. The firm holds no ownership over the conference; instead, they're investing in the growth of one of the already biggest and strongest conferences in the country through sponsorship deals. They have also offered each school a $30 million line of credit to help with financial crunches. Although most teams have declined the offer due to having to pay it back with double-digit interest. One of the biggest potential benefits to the partnership is the fact that Red Bird is the second largest stakeholder in Paramount, which owns CBS and is looking to acquire TNT.
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