Proposal eyes change to D-I hoop start dates

A new proposal to start the women’s basketball season days earlier than the men’s season could amplify the growing spotlight on 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. 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,” per the NCAA’s release on Wednesday.

The change would also help both sports avoid any conflicts with Election Day and provide more flexibility for TV windows and venue demands.

The start date and length of the practice season currently varies between 21 and 22 weeks for men’s and women’s basketball, both of which start their seasons each year on the same day.

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

The NCAA and ESPN recently agreed to an eight-year, $920 million extension on the media rights deal for 40 championships, a package that includes the women’s Final Four and national championship game. The growth of women’s basketball – which exploded as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and others became household names in recent years – is credited with playing a significant role in the massive increase (three times the previous deal) in revenue the NCAA will receive. Of the $115 million per the year the NCAA will receive under the new deal, $65 million of that total is attached to the women’s NCAA tournament, NCAA president Charlie Baker told Front Office Sports earlier this year.