The NCAA Tournament is in the early stages of a potential expansion.

March Madness, known as one of the most thrilling events in sports, may undergo changes in the near future.

NCAA officials recently unveiled proposals for expanding the NCAA Tournament, as reported by Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger. These potential updates to college basketball’s premier event comprised two models, each involving an increase of four or eight teams.

Amid concerns about the potential elimination of automatic bids for conference champions, the models presented on Wednesday incorporated the inclusion of exclusively at-large teams. However, the addition of at-large teams would expand the tournament field to either 72 or 76 teams, necessitating more play-in games. Presently, the First Four includes only four play-in games, featuring just four at-large teams.

According to Dellenger, any potential changes to the men’s college basketball tournament would not be implemented until at least the 2025-26 season. He also notes the possibility of changes to the women’s tournament if alterations are made to the men’s tournament.

Discussions about expanding the NCAA Tournament have emerged shortly after the College Football Playoff’s enlargement from four teams to 12, which is set to commence in the upcoming season.

Despite its limited appearances in the NCAA Tournament in recent years, Oklahoma State could benefit from these prospective modifications. With Steve Lutz at the helm in Stillwater, the team aims to secure a tournament spot for the first time since 2021 and second time since 2017.

As Lutz assembles a roster for the next season utilizing the transfer portal, retaining current players while adding high school recruits will be crucial in preparing OSU for an expanded tournament. Even if the Cowboys were to qualify as a play-in team in a 72 or 76-team field, it would be a positive development after narrowly missing out on the tournament multiple times in recent years.