Kristian Ferrell
Basketball seasons vary depending on the league, with college basketball seasons differing from those of the NBA. The college basketball season typically follows a consistent annual schedule, with the regular season beginning in early November and continuing through early March. The number of games in a college basketball season can vary, with teams playing between 30 and 35 games on average, including conference tournaments. In the NBA, the season structure is different, with pre-season warm-up games that don't count towards the regular season. At the end of the NBA season, the top 8 teams from each conference compete within their conferences, followed by the Eastern and Western Conference Champions facing off in the Finals for the NBA Championship.
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What You'll Learn
Pre-season
Preseason is a warm-up for the regular basketball season, where wins and losses do not count. The regular season usually begins in early November and continues through early March. During preseason, teams can play up to 29 regular-season games, or 31 if they participate in multi-team events (MTEs). Teams that don't participate in MTEs can play up to 28 or 29 regular-season games.
A college basketball season is typically broken down into a few segments: non-conference play, conference play, conference tournaments, and postseason tournaments. The number of games in conference play varies by conference. For example, the ACC, Big Sky, Big Ten, MAAC, Southland, and Sun Belt conferences played 20-game schedules in 2019-2020, while the Ivy League played a national-low 14 conference games.
On average, most teams play between 30 and 35 games in a season, including their conference tournaments. However, a men's DI college basketball team can expect to play 35 to 40 games if it makes the NCAA tournament and roughly 30 to 32 if it doesn't. The NCAA tournament is commonly referred to as March Madness and can extend into early April.
College athletes often find themselves dedicating as much as 40 hours a week to their sport during peak season, which is comparable to a full-time job. Balancing academic commitments with athletics at the college level takes time management and dedication. It is recommended that student-athletes develop a study schedule that meshes with their practice and game commitments to ensure academic success alongside athletic performance.
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Regular season
The regular season usually begins in early November and continues through early March. The number of games played during the regular season varies depending on the team's conference and whether they participate in multi-game tournaments. Teams that don't participate in multi-game tournaments can play up to 27 or 29 regular-season games. Teams that do participate in multi-game tournaments can play up to 31 or even 35 to 40 games in a season.
During the regular season, wins and losses do count, unlike in pre-season where they don't. At the end of the regular season, teams compete in conference tournaments, and then potentially in NCAA Division I tournaments (commonly referred to as March Madness), which can extend into early April.
The number of games in conference play varies by conference. For example, in the 2019-2020 season, the ACC, Big Sky, Big Ten, MAAC, Southland, and Sun Belt conferences played 20-game schedules, while the Ivy League played a national-low 14 conference games.
The regular season is followed by the playoffs, where the 8 teams of each conference with the best regular-season records compete within their conference in a best-of-7 series. The winners of these series, the Eastern Conference Champion and Western Conference Champion teams, then compete in a Finals matchup for the NBA Championship.
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Conference tournaments
Conferences are only permitted to stage postseason tournaments if the winner of their conference tournament receives the sole automatic NCAA bid. The same rules apply to women's basketball, except that the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) guarantees an automatic bid to all 32 conferences. The highest-ranking team in each conference that does not make it to the NCAA Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NIT.
Some examples of conferences that hold tournaments include the Big East, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac 12, and SEC. These conferences feature prominent college basketball programs and compete to crown a conference champion at the end of each regular season.
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Postseason tournaments
The postseason tournaments follow the regular season, which typically begins in early November and concludes in early March. After the regular season, teams compete in conference tournaments, and those who qualify may then advance to the NCAA Division I tournaments, affectionately known as "March Madness". The NCAA Division I tournaments can extend into early April, marking the end of the college basketball season.
The number of games played in the postseason can vary depending on the team's performance. For example, the 2011 UConn team played 11 games in the postseason, including five games in the Big East tournament and six games in the NCAA tournament. In contrast, a team that does not qualify for the NCAA tournament may play around 30-32 games in a season.
The NCAA Division I Council has passed legislation allowing men's basketball programs to schedule up to 28 regular-season games and participate in multi-team events (MTEs) for a total of 31 games. Teams that perform well in the postseason tournaments can expect to play a higher number of games overall.
The commitment required for collegiate basketball extends beyond just the games. Athletes often dedicate as much as 40 hours a week to their sport during peak season, balancing practice, fitness training, travel, strategy sessions, and other team events with their academic commitments.
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Number of games
The number of games in a basketball season varies depending on the level of competition and the specific league or tournament. For example, in college basketball, the number of games can differ slightly from season to season and from team to team.
On average, college basketball teams play between 30 and 35 games in a season, including conference tournaments. Specifically, a men's Division I college basketball team can expect to play 35 to 40 games if it makes the NCAA tournament and roughly 30 to 32 if it doesn't.
The regular season usually begins in early November and continues through early March. After the conclusion of the regular season, teams compete in conference tournaments, and then potentially in NCAA Division I tournaments (commonly referred to as March Madness), which can extend into early April.
In April 2020, the Division I Council passed legislation that allows men's basketball programs to schedule up to 28 regular-season games and participate in a multi-team event (MTE) with up to three games, or 29 regular-season games while participating in an MTE with up to two games, for a total of 31 games. Teams that don't participate in an MTE can play up to 29 regular-season games.
The number of games in conference play also varies by conference. For example, in the 2019-2020 season, the ACC, Big Sky, Big Ten, MAAC, Southland, and Sun Belt conferences played 20-game schedules, while the Ivy League played a national-low 14 conference games.
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Frequently asked questions
The length of a basketball season varies depending on the league and level of competition. For example, the college basketball season typically runs from early November to early March, followed by conference and NCAA Division I tournaments that can extend into early April. The NBA season includes a pre-season warm-up period before the regular season, which is followed by conference playoffs and the NBA Finals.
The number of games played during a basketball season can vary depending on the league, level of competition, and team performance. In college basketball, teams can expect to play between 30 and 40 games in a season, including conference tournaments. The exact number depends on various factors, such as the conference structure and participation in non-conference events or multi-team events (MTEs). In the NBA, the number of games played during the regular season can vary, but the top teams from each conference compete in a best-of-seven series within their conferences before advancing to the Finals.
After the regular season, teams advance to postseason play, which includes conference tournaments and, in some cases, NCAA Division I tournaments (known as March Madness). The structure of the postseason can vary, with some teams participating in conference playoffs and others advancing directly to the Finals based on their regular-season performance.
