March Madness may be getting bigger — but almost nobody seems to think that’s a good thing.
In this hour of Jen, Gabe & Chewy, the crew reacts to reports that the NCAA is moving toward expanding both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams, and the response is immediate:
👉 This is a terrible idea.
🚨 Why the 76-Team Plan Feels So Bad
The biggest issue:
More play-in games
More clutter before the real bracket begins
And a format that makes the tournament feel messier, not better
Instead of the clean 64-team structure fans love, the NCAA is creating:
👉 12 games involving 24 teams before the bracket even really starts
🧠 The Bracket Problem
One of the strongest points in the hour:
👉 Filling out a bracket is one of the best parts of March Madness
But with this setup:
It becomes harder
More confusing
And more rushed for fans trying to participate
The feeling from the show is clear:
👉 Why would the NCAA make the most fun part of the tournament worse?
💰 It All Comes Back to Money
The consensus:
This is a money grab
Not something fans are asking for
Not something that improves the sport
And even then:
👉 It’s not expected to be a massive financial windfall
🏈 The Bigger Pattern: College Football Expansion Too
The conversation broadens to college football:
12 teams already feels like a lot
16 teams might be manageable
24 teams? That’s where it starts getting ridiculous
The same problem applies:
👉 More teams does not mean more legitimate contenders
😬 Fan Frustration Feels Familiar
The hour also pivots into a bigger discussion about:
what it feels like when a team’s championship window is closing
why fans struggle to admit it
and how that tension shows up with teams like the 49ers… and even the Packers
That gives the whole segment a bigger sports-wide theme:
👉 expansion, entitlement, and the reality of knowing when the magic might be slipping