College basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a year-long rollercoaster of emotion, buzzer-beaters, bracket-busting drama, and unforgettable Cinderella stories. November’s tip-off to the confetti-showered conclusion in April.
The NCAA basketball season follows a structured rhythm that keeps fans, coaches, and players on their toes. If you’ve ever wondered how it all works, from the regular season grind to the madness of March, let’s break it all down—step by glorious step.
Breaking Down the College Basketball Calendar
1. Preseason (October)
Before the first legal whistle is sounded, teams everywhere start getting primed in mid-October with practices, scrimmages, and exhibition games.
This is where chemistry starts to develop, freshmen receive their welcome-to-college-basketball experience, and coaches begin sizing up rotations. Some teams even play exhibitions against D-II or D-III schools to remove the rust.
2. Non-Conference Play (November–December)
The regular season gets underway in early November with non-conference play. These games are usually compelling because they match up programs from other conferences—and levels—against one another.
For blueblood programs, it’s an opportunity to strut their stuff. For underdogs? It’s their opportunity for a season-altering upset.
Tournaments such as the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, and the NIT Season Tip-Off illuminate this early part of the schedule.
What’s on the line here? A lot of victories in non-league games impact NET rankings (the NCAA Evaluation Tool), which are heavily weighed by the NCAA selection committee when seeding teams for the Big Dance.
Coaches also prefer to probe their rosters against different forms of play so they can get ready for March.
3. Conference Play (Late December–Early March)
Once the calendar rolls into the new year, conference season begins. Either the Big Ten slog or the hard-fought battles of the SEC, the teams now engage in battles of wits and athleticism with traditional foes.
Bragging rights aside, it’s about getting standings and seed right for the next step: the conference tournament.
These are often the most intense games of the year, filled with packed student sections, decades-long grudges, and must-win moments.
Coaches also tweak strategies here, as familiarity between teams means there’s little room to hide weaknesses.
4. Conference Tournaments (March)
By the time March rolls around, all of the conferences have a postseason tournament. Some of them, such as the Big East and ACC, illuminate big cities like Washington, D.C., and New York.
These are single-elimination gauntlets with the stakes as clear as day: win the tournament, and you have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lose early, and your selection committee’s fate is sealed. Ask Georgetown (2021) or Oregon State (2021), who moved from long shots to NCAA invites within a span of a week or so.
5. Selection Sunday (Mid-March)
After all the conference championship confetti settles, Americans coast-to-coast watch for Selection Sunday. The NCAA announces the entire bracket: 68 teams split across four regions, seeded 1 to 16.
The top 36 receive “at-large” invitations, and 32 get automatic bids through their conference tournaments.
6. The NCAA Tournament (March–April)
Welcome to March Madness, where heroes are made, and anarchy is the rule. The tournament starts with the “First Four” in Dayton, Ohio, where eight teams battle it out for the last four positions in the Round of 64.
Then it’s all steam ahead: six rounds—Round of 64, Round of 32, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the National Championship.
KEEP READING: When Do College Basketball Teams Announce Their Schedules for the Upcoming Season?
It’s single elimination, so one off night and you’re going home. But that’s what makes it so great. A mid-major such as Florida Atlantic gets to stand toe-to-toe with bluebloods such as Kansas or Duke. And sometimes they actually win.
In 2024, Purdue and UConn provided us with one of the most-watched championship rematches in years. Then, in 2025, we saw a battle of No. 1 seeds, with the Florida Gators outlasting the Houston Cougars for their third national title.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
