NCAA committee eyes changing college basketball season start dates

The NCAA is exploring a new proposal to start the women’s basketball season days earlier than the men’s season as the organization looks to push the momentum of the growing interest in the women’s game.

The NCAA’s men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees have proposed starting the women’s basketball season on the Monday that falls 22 weeks before the women’s Final Four each season, two days before the start of the men’s season, beginning with the 2025-26 campaign,” per the NCAA’s release Wednesday.

“With the women beginning their season on a Monday and the men commencing their season on a Wednesday, the women’s game would “have increased marketing and promotional opportunities contributing to elevation of the sport at a campus level,”

Not only would the shift help college hoops grow its fanbase, it would also avoid conflicts with the U.S. Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, while providing more flexibility for TV windows and venue demands.

If the Division I Council approves the change in October, the first game for women’s basketball could be played starting on Nov. 3, 2025, and men’s basketball could begin Nov. 5, 2025. Both sports are scheduled to tip off their seasons on Nov. 11, 2025, under current guidelines.

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