The debate over NCAA Tournament expansion is heating up, and the opinions are as mixed as a bracket on Selection Sunday. As the field prepares to grow from 68 to 76 teams, some coaches are cheering the change, while others are calling it a money grab that fixes nothing.

New Creighton coach Alan Huss is firmly in the "more is better" camp. Speaking Thursday, he argued the expansion will have minimal impact on the sport's overall quality while giving more teams a taste of March Madness. "It's a good thing," Huss said. "It stinks that it's difficult for mid-majors to get at-large bids now. I don't know if it's going to change substantially by adding additional spots, but it's great for everyone to have the opportunity."

Huss knows the sting of being left out. As High Point's coach, his team won the 2024 Big South regular-season title but lost in the conference tournament and was relegated to the College Basketball Invitational. The next year, his squad swept both titles and earned the automatic bid. For him, any extra access is a win for programs fighting for recognition.

But not everyone is celebrating. UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma didn't mince words, calling the expansion "strictly a money grab for the Power Four conferences to get teams that finished 6-10 in their conference to get into the tournament." He argues the NCAA should focus on bigger issues, like transfer rules, rather than tinkering with a tournament that already works.

The NCAA, however, is touting greater access. Under the new format, 21% of Division I men's and women's teams will participate—up from 18%, which was the lowest rate among major team sports. The eight-team First Four will be replaced by a 24-team Opening Round, meaning six conference automatic qualifiers (mostly mid-majors) will now play at least two games. Previously, only two had that chance.

Still, critics question how much mid-majors will really benefit. While advancing teams bring in more money from the NCAA's performance fund, and a few more at-large spots might open up for one-bid leagues, the math doesn't change much for programs outside the Power Four. As Huss put it, the core question remains: "Who's getting left out?"

For fans and players, the expansion means more basketball and more Cinderella stories waiting to happen. But for those who love the tournament's current intensity, it's a reminder that sometimes, the best fix is no fix at all.