The NCAA Tournament just got a whole lot bigger—and retired BYU coach Dave Rose is all for it.

Earlier this week, the NCAA expanded its March Madness field from 68 to 76 teams, opening the door for more programs to chase the dream. While some might say that's a lot of extra flights, arena seats, and teams that might not traditionally "deserve" a spot in one of the world's most popular sporting events, the move also means more commercial breaks and, ultimately, more TV revenue.

But for Dave Rose, who spent 40 years in the game, the expansion is about something deeper: opportunity.

"Coming from my background as a coach at BYU, the more teams in the tournament means more opportunities for these players to keep playing, and I know how much it means to those players," Rose said. "It's a very big deal, a precious memory they won't forget."

Rose pointed to a scenario that resonates with many mid-major programs: a team like Miami (Ohio) out of the MAC, which went a perfect 31-0 in the regular season before falling in its conference tournament to a 17-16 UMass squad. The RedHawks had to sweat out Selection Sunday before earning an 11-seed and a play-in game against SMU. Rose believes regular-season conference champions deserve a guaranteed path to the Big Dance, even if they stumble in a single-elimination tournament.

"A season of elite play should stand for something," he added.

Rose isn't alone in his enthusiasm. Creighton coach Alan Huss sees it as a "the more the merrier" scenario, noting the expansion will have minimal overall impact but give more teams a taste of March Madness. Tennessee's Rick Barnes is fully on board, saying, "I'm in favor of three weeks... I'm all in favor of the smaller teams having a chance to be in this tournament... it's going to impact the country in every state." Ohio State's Jake Diebler echoed that sentiment, calling the tournament "the best sporting event in the world" and arguing for more kids to experience it. Even Tennessee athletic director Danny White voiced support for the change.

With more teams, more memories, and more Cinderella stories waiting to be written, the expanded field is shaping up to be a win for players, coaches, and fans alike.