How many teams played in the original NCAA Tournament?Correct!Only eight teams competed in the first NCAA tournament. Oregon, nicknamed the �Tall Firs� due to the height of its starting front court, beat out seven other teams to win the first NCAA men�s basketball championship in 1939. The field began growing soon after, reaching 16 teams from 1951 to 1952 and varying between 22 and 25 teams from 1953 to 1974. It then steadily increased from 32 teams in 1975 to 64 teams in 1985. The most recent expansion came in 2011, when 68 teams were invited to participate. |
