ESPN’s Jay Bilas calls NCAA tournament expansion to 76 teams unnecessary

ESPN college basketball broadcaster Jay Bilas says the NCAA’s decision to expand the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments to 76 teams is unnecessary.

Bilas, 62, said he was indifferent to the NCAA’s expansion decision, but no one made a fuss about it.

“I don’t want to say I don’t care, but I’m not bothered by it. It’s not a decision I would choose for the NCAA because — I’m not one of those ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ guys, because no one says ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it or maintain it.’ But I don’t think it’s necessary,” Bilas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

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“Nobody was clamoring to see a .500 team from a major conference make the tournament.”

Bilas noted that if the tournament is expanded compared to last season’s tournament, 0.500 teams will participate in the tournament.

The first two days of the tournament will look drastically different in the newly expanded tournament. That Tuesday and Wednesday, 12 games would be played between 24 teams due to the eight at-large bids added. The games will be played on two different sites.

Bilas said it can be “a little confusing” for the average fan to fill out their bracket. He said the added preliminary games were “insignificant”.

“The vast majority of fans do not think the tournament will start until the first Thursday of the 64-team bracket,” Bilas said.

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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stands courtside before the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and Florida Atlantic Owls at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)

“People still watch the games, and especially basketball fans like me, they will watch religiously, but for most fans, it’s just kind of — I don’t want to say unimportant, but it is.”

Bilas said that the teams that win the qualifying matches will be financially rewarded.

“What this does is it gives a bunch of teams a chance to win an NCAA tournament game. They’ll get a monetary credit even though most fans won’t give them credit. They’ll get an NCAA tournament unit and be able to say, ‘Hey, we won an NCAA tournament game even though it was against a team with the exact same seed,'” Bilas said.

“It’s okay. I don’t think it’s as important as some people make it out to be,” Bilas continued. “Money is a good reason to do things. That’s fine with me.”

UConn head coach Danny Hurley was among coaches concerned that tournament expansion could diminish the value of the regular season. Bilas said he understood Hurley’s point and agreed.

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ESPN College GameDay host Jay Bilas prepares to broadcast before the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 1, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

“I understand, and I think it’s a little bit like that. So the debate about who gets in and who gets out has lessened. Now, if we’re going to have .500 teams from the major conferences holding the tournament, do I think that’s good? No, I don’t,” Bilas said.

“But it’s not that big of a deal. Most of these teams will be out in the first weekend anyway. There might be someone who puts it all together at the end of the year and is better than their record, but I think that horse is already out of the stable.”

American Century Tournament

Bilas will play in the American Century Tournament July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.

The tournament raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates tournament fundraisers to raise money directly for Stowers each year.

Bilas said he was invited six or seven years ago, describing it as the equivalent of a PGA Tour player being invited to the Masters.

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ESPN basketball analyst and former Duke player Jay Bilas watches during Countdown to Madness at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina on October 19, 2012. (Lance King/Getty Images)

“I was so excited when I got invited six, seven years ago. I couldn’t believe I could do it. They must have had a very low bar, but they’ve invited me back ever since. To me, getting that invite should be the equivalent of a PGA tour player being invited to the Masters. So you get the invite, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe they invited me back,’ and it’s an automatic yes,” Bilas said.

“It’s just a thrill. And it’s equally exciting when you get there because it’s such a beautiful setting at Lake Tahoe at Edgewood Resort. The weather is always amazing. Seventy thousand people are there in their shorts and pants and enjoy seeing some of their favorite celebrities.”

Bilas said he loved competing in the tournament, but that’s what makes the atmosphere special. Aside from the tournament’s notable philanthropic work, he thanked CEO Justin Thomas for being so welcoming and creating a family atmosphere that everyone loved. The tournament will air on NBC and Peacock.

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