NCAA
When Does College Basketball Start? Men & Women’s Schedule & Key Dates
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Get to know Dan Girolamo betterPublished31 Oct 2024
The college basketball season is about to begin. Below is the early season schedule and key dates for men’s and women’s college basketball.
Men’s College Basketball Schedule & Key Dates
One week until banner 6⃣ 👀 pic.twitter.com/mVDmFWUCra
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) October 30, 2024
The men’s college basketball season begins on Nov. 4. The best game on opening day features the No. 8 Baylor Bears taking on the No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane, Washington.
No. 3 UConn will begin its quest for a third consecutive national championship on Nov. 6 when the Huskies play Sacred Heart.
No. 1 Kansas begins the year as the top-ranked team in the country. The Jayhawks welcome Howard to Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 4.
November features several high-profile tournaments, including the State Farm Champions Classic, Vegas Showdown, NIT Season Tip-Off, and Maui Invitational.
AP Top 10
| 1 | Kansas |
| 2 | Alabama |
| 3 | UConn |
| 4 | Houston |
| 5 | Iowa State |
| 6 | Gonzaga |
| 7 | Duke |
| 8 | Baylor |
| 9 | North Carolina |
| 10 | Arizona |
Men’s College Basketball: Key Dates
| EVENT | 2024-25 START DATES |
|---|---|
| Regular Season Begins | Nov. 4, 2024 |
| Conference Season Begins | Dec. 2024 |
| Conference Tournaments Begin | March 2025 |
| Selection Sunday | March 16, 2025 |
| First NCAA Tournament Game | March 18, 2025 |
| Men’s National Championship | April 7, 2025 |
Women’s College Basketball Schedule & Key Dates
FINAL – Gamecocks win!!
We'll see you in Vegas as we open up the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 against Michigan 🤙 pic.twitter.com/aPNdc6xeiq
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) October 29, 2024
The women’s college basketball season begins on Nov. 4. The best game on opening day features No. 20 Ole Miss taking on No. 3 USC from Paris, .
N0. 1 South Carolina is the defending national champion. The Gamecocks will open their season on Nov. 4 against Michigan from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Women’s college basketball is looking for a new superstar after the departure of Caitlin Clark. USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers will be two of the top players in the country.
Notable early tournaments include the Women’s Champions Classic, Battle 4 Atlantis, and Ally Tipoff.
AP Top 10
| 1 | South Carolina |
| 2 | UConn |
| 3 | USC |
| 4 | Texas |
| 5 | UCLA |
| 6 | Notre Dame |
| 7 | LSU |
| 8 | Iowa State |
| 9 | NC State |
| 10 | Oklahoma |
Women’s College Basketball: Key Dates
| EVENT | 2024-25 START DATES |
|---|---|
| Regular Season Begins | Nov. 4, 2024 |
| Conference Season Begins | Dec. 2024 |
| Conference Tournaments Begin | March 2025 |
| Selection Sunday | March 16, 2025 |
| First NCAA Tournament Game | March 19, 2025 |
| Women’s National Championship | April 6, 2025 |
