The Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees on Tuesday proposed legislation for basketball seasons to have a 32-game maximum contest limit.
If approved through the Division I governance structure in June, the proposal would become effective beginning with the 2026-27 basketball season. The rationale for implementation beginning in the 2026-27 season is that by the time the proposal would be adopted, many teams already would have set their schedules for the 2025-26 season.
Teams wouldn't be required to schedule 32 games, and the blanket waiver involving multiple-team events would remain in place for the 2025-26 season.
Both oversight committees have discussed this topic thoroughly in recent months and concluded that a flat maximum contest limit is simple, flexible and straightforward.
The proposal also aligns both sports with equitable participation opportunities. Currently, men's and women's basketball teams can schedule 28 games with an additional three-game, multiple-team event, for a maximum of 31 games. Teams can also choose to schedule 29 games with a two-game, multiple-team event, again with a 31-game maximum. Or teams can schedule 29 regular-season games without a multiple-team event included.
"I greatly appreciate the significant amount of work that the MBOC and WBOC conducted, and the strong collaboration that took place, to put forth this legislation and look toward the future of regular-season scheduling. This proposed legislation does not require anyone to change their regular-season schedule and provides simplicity and greater flexibility as teams review their team and scheduling needs each season," said Dan Butterly, chair of the Men's Basketball Oversight Committee and commissioner of the Big West Conference.
"The opportunity very much exists for teams to continue to play in multiple-team or bracketed events to prepare them for postseason play."
The Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Student-Athlete Engagement Groups, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Women's Basketball Coaches Association all view the scheduling proposal positively.
"I fully support increasing the maximum number of regular-season contests from 31 to 32," said Kennedy Todd-Williams, a senior on the Mississippi women's basketball team. "I think it's a great move for the game and for the student-athletes."
Both committees hope the increase will encourage quality nonconference competition that can be used by the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees for championship selection and seeding.
"Moving to this new regular-season model where all games count toward a set limit is easy to understand and to apply and will allow everyone the opportunity for student-athletes in both women's and men's basketball to play in the same number of games," said Kelly Barsky, chair of the Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee and director of athletics at UC Santa Barbara. "This would give teams the flexibility to reach the limit in a manner that is best for the team. Certainly, this also provides fans another opportunity to support student-athletes and great basketball."
