The air is crisp, the leaves are doing that crunchy thing on the sidewalk, and you’re probably wondering why your social media feed is suddenly full of guys in oversized shorts throwing orange balls. It’s that time. But honestly, if you ask three different fans "when does ncaa basketball season start," you might get three different answers.
Basically, the "official" start isn’t always the "real" start for the die-hards.
For the 2025-2026 season, the floodgates officially opened on Monday, November 3, 2025. That was the date the NCAA circled on the calendar for the start of the regular season. If you were watching that night, you saw Houston’s Kelvin Sampson snag his 800th career win. Not a bad way to kick things off, right?
But here’s the thing. The season doesn't just go from zero to a hundred. It’s a slow burn that turns into a wildfire.
The Confusion Around the Start Date
Most people think the season starts when the big-name schools play each other. Kinda. In reality, the NCAA has a very specific "22-week" rule. They calculate backward from the championship game to figure out when teams can actually start playing.
For 2025, that fell on early November.
However, you've probably seen highlights or heard chatter way before that. Why? Because the "secret" start happens in September and October. This is the preseason. Teams are allowed to hold "Midnight Madness" events—which, let's be real, are more like pep rallies—and play "secret scrimmages" that aren't televised.
If you're looking for the high-octane matchups, though, the season really "starts" in the minds of many fans during the second week of November. That’s when the Champions Classic usually hits. This year, we saw Michigan State take on Kentucky and Duke face off against Kansas on November 18. For a lot of casual viewers, that is the true opening bell.
How the Calendar Actually Flows
It’s not just a random scramble of games. The season has a very distinct rhythm:
- The Non-Conference Sprint (November – December): This is where teams travel to random spots like the Bahamas or Maui. It’s a mix of "buy games" (where big schools pay small schools to come get beat) and elite tournaments.
- The Feast Week (Late November): Around Thanksgiving, the schedule gets insane. You’ve got the Maui Invitational, the Battle 4 Atlantis, and the NIT Season Tip-Off.
- The Conference Grind (January – March): This is where it gets personal. You play the teams in your own conference. The travel is shorter, but the crowds are meaner.
- The Finale (March – April): March Madness. The Holy Grail.
Why the November Start Matters More Than You Think
You might think a game between a Top 10 team and a school you’ve never heard of in early November is boring. You'd be wrong. These early games are basically the "data points" the Selection Committee uses in March.
If a powerhouse team like Purdue struggles against an underdog in the first week, it haunts their "NET ranking" for the rest of the year. The NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) is the complicated math formula the NCAA uses to decide who gets into the big tournament.
Wait, you've heard of the "Quadrants," right?
A win in November counts just as much as a win in February when the computer starts crunching the numbers. That’s why when people ask when does ncaa basketball season start, the answer is "now," because every single game is an audition for a spot in the 68-team field.
Key Dates for the 2025-2026 Season
If you’re trying to plan your life (or your couch time), keep these dates on your radar:
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- Regular Season Tip-off: November 3, 2025
- Champions Classic: November 18, 2025
- Selection Sunday: March 15, 2026
- The First Four: March 17-18, 2026 (Dayton, Ohio)
- The Final Four: April 4, 2026 (Indianapolis)
- National Championship: April 6, 2026
The 2026 title game is heading to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. If you’ve never been to Indy for a Final Four, it’s basically the basketball equivalent of a religious pilgrimage. The whole city turns into a giant court.
The "Secret" Season: Scrimmages and Exhibitions
Before November 3, teams often play "exhibitions." These don't count toward their record, but they're fascinating. For example, Duke played an exhibition against Tennessee on October 26, 2025. They won 83-76, and while the stats didn't "count," the hype definitely did.
It’s a chance for coaches to see if their freshmen can actually handle the bright lights or if they're going to crumble the second a real defender gets in their jersey.
What Most Fans Get Wrong About the Schedule
The biggest misconception? That the season is too long.
Actually, the college basketball season is one of the most condensed schedules in sports. Unlike the NBA, where you have 82 games and a lot of "load management," every college game carries massive weight. One bad night in November can literally be the difference between a #1 seed and a #4 seed in March.
Also, people often forget that conference tournaments are technically part of the post-season, but they happen before the NCAA tournament. These usually start in late February or the first week of March. If you’re a fan of a smaller school—say, someone in the MAC or the Sun Belt—the season effectively "starts" for real during that conference tournament week. It’s win or go home.
How to Prepare for the Tip-Off
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, don't wait until January to start paying attention. By then, the storylines are already written.
Start by looking at the Early-Season Tournaments. This year, the Maui Invitational (November 24-26) was a bloodbath featuring teams like USC and Seton Hall. These tournaments are played in a bracket format over three days. It’s like a mini-March Madness in the middle of November.
Also, keep an eye on the transfer portal results. The team you loved last year probably looks totally different now. Roster turnover in college hoops is faster than ever thanks to the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules and the portal.
Actionable Next Steps
To make sure you don't miss a beat as the season progresses, here's what you should do:
- Download a Schedule App: Use something like the ESPN or CBS Sports app and "Favorite" the teams you follow. It’ll ping you when the games start.
- Check the "NET" Rankings: Start looking at these in early December. It’ll tell you which teams the computers love, even if the human polls (like the AP Top 25) haven't caught up yet.
- Mark the "Selection Sunday" Date: It’s March 15, 2026. This is the most important day on the sports calendar outside of the actual games.
- Follow Conference Realignment: Keep an eye on which schools moved where. For example, we're seeing huge shifts in the Pac-12 and Big West for the upcoming 2026-27 cycle, and the ripples are already being felt in recruiting this year.
The season is a marathon that feels like a series of sprints. Whether you’re a die-hard alum or just someone who likes a good underdog story, the journey from that first Monday in November to the confetti in Indianapolis is unlike anything else in sports.