NCAA memo to membership warns against potential travel logjam with aircrafts for March Madness

The NCAA sent a memo to its Division I schools on Feb. 24, warning of the possibility that the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments could experience travel difficulties due to myriad factors at play across the United States.

The memo, provided Monday to CBS Sports by the NCAA, has been sent in a similar form in years past, but 2026 presents a different challenge.

“Across the country, significantly fewer charter aircraft are available due to several factors beyond the NCAA’s control,” the organization said in a statement.

One contributing factor to potential travel stress: the ongoing partial government shutdown and aviation operational issues for large private planes, which emerged as a result of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working together to use private planes to deport immigrants at the request of President Donald Trump.

“The logistical challenge of moving nearly all participating teams to both tournaments within 12 to 72 hours of Selection Sunday evening is compounded by the busy spring break season, the nationwide shortage of charter aircraft across the country, and the potential impact of the partial government shutdown on TSA,” an NCAA spokesperson wrote. “While the NCAA has assured all participating teams that they will get where they need to go safely, the NCAA has also informed all teams that extreme flexibility, particularly in the first week of the championships, will be necessary.”

The NCAA pays for private planes for all NCAA Tournament games for teams located more than 400 miles from their first weekend sites for the men’s and women’s tournaments. Schools also have the option to procure (but pay for) private air travel on their own behalf if they wish, but in this case schools could run into the same problem if they do not rely on the NCAA to arrange their flights.

For the first weekend, all teams within 400 miles of their opening weekend sites are taken by charter buses. For regions (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight), the radius reduces to 350 miles or less for bus travel.

Two 68-team tournaments taking place in close proximity to each other on the calendar lend themselves to enormous structural travel demands. The NCAA coordinates with schools and travel agencies – literally to the minute – as soon as March Madness brackets are released. Schools have until Friday to send in their detailed manifests for their traveling groups, or face fines for delays.

Both tournaments are the most complicated and logistically demanding operations the NCAA undertakes each year, and much of the effort involves arranging safe, smooth flights for dozens of schools for seven straight days. “We understand that these requests will have an impact on you,” reads the NCAA memo, which later clarifies: “Adjustments to the realities of the current travel market must be made, while still providing the best possible travel experience for participating teams.

“Institutions could expect [to see] their travel had the following consequences: subsequent confirmation of charter departure times when traveling to/from tournament venues; Use of a wide range of aircraft with multiple seating configurations and amenities; Different aircraft for inbound and outbound flights; Need to submit final passenger and equipment manifest sooner; Increased security measures from the regular season; Payload restrictions and weight limitations; Catering and coordination on board; Wi-Fi capabilities not guaranteed; Need to make fuel stops or use alternative airports; and Adjustment of departure dates and times.”

There have been sporadic travel issues in the past during the month of March, although for the most part the NCAA has a very good track record of coordinating dozens of flights with minimal obstacles. UConn men’s team infamously had a plane delay while heading to the 2024 Final Four in Phoenixalthough this was due to circumstances beyond the NCAA’s control.

The travel concerns raised this year under these circumstances, however, come at an interesting time. The NCAA has been discussing for years whether to expand its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The choice is now between remaining at 68 or extending to 76 for both tranches. Sources previously told CBS Sports that considerable logistical concerns related to insuring and securing private air travel for up to 16 additional teams for the opening matches of the men’s and women’s tournaments was a contributing factor to the idea of ​​expanding the tournament.

Whether or not air travel will be a reason that keeps March Madness from happening remains to be seen. But if you can’t get teams to sites in an orderly manner, you have a huge problem.

NCAA tournament official Dan Gavitt told select media gathered in Indianapolis in February that the selection committee paused all talk of NCAA tournament expansion until mid-April at the earliest.