Here's why this won't happen.

As noted in the article linked below, although many in college hoops would like to move the season back a month to minimize overlap with CFB and the NFL, the second-biggest obstacle is that the NCAA is overly dependent on using NBA and NHL arenas for its tournament. NBA/NHL teams probably won't let their arenas block out a week for the NCAA tournament when that week falls during the NBA or NHL playoffs. (In 2015, the NBA playoffs began on April 18; the NHL playoffs began on April 15.) That would mean no NCAA tournament games, ever, in MSG or Barclays or Staples Center or United Center and on and on... they'd have to rely exclusively on college-controlled arenas and arenas in cities with no NBA or NHL (e.g., Seattle and Kansas City).

The TV "partners" probably wouldn't be thrilled, either. You might be able to convince CBS that having the NCAAs after the Masters rather than before isn't so bad.

But here's the biggest obstacle, not even mentioned by the sportswriters, and it's probably the deal-killer: TBS. They are paying a larger share of the March Madness contract than CBS. TBS would have to pre-empt its own Thurs-Sunday coverage of the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs to air the NCAAs. TBS just paid an astronomical sum to hold onto its NBA rights; they're not going to want to give up two of the highest-rated NBA weekends on their schedule just so the college basketball guys can start their season after the end of the CFB season. And even if they did, their NCAA ratings would be reduced by competition with ESPN's NBA playoff games.

So we can almost certainly forget about starting the CBB season in mid-December instead of mid-November.

NCAA toying with moving season back one month, per official

Quote:Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice president of men's basketball, indicated the idea of moving the season back one month is gaining steam, according to The Mercury News.

Moving the start of the season from mid-November to mid-December would give the sport less overlap with the NFL and college football seasons.

The decision would have to be made by the men's basketball oversight committee.

“There’s definitely a portion of the membership that thinks it’s worthy of consideration,’’ Gavitt said. ‘There are merits on a lot of levels.’’

Then play the tournament in large arenas that aren't NBA/NHL and domed NFL stadiums.

For example, the Metrodome in Mpls hosted an NCAA tournament in the late 2000's.


Basketball should be a one semester sport, like football almost is (taking out the bowl games). Perhaps pre-season stuff in Dec. But regular season shouldn't start until after Fall finals are over and the kids have had a week off for Xmas break.

That's my opinion.

I think it is fine how it is now

Wouldn't the compromise of an early December start and mid-April finish be feasible? Even more desirable?

College basketball season could start right as the CFB season is ending. Turn the focus to basketball during the pre-bowl CFB lull with a bunch of tip-off classics and neutral-site bball tournaments. Conference play starts right after the CFP national championship game.

Final Four weekend could flow right into the NBA Round 1 tip off. Still have the Conference tournaments at the end of March for March Madness - which turns into the NCAA Tournament and April Absurdity!

(10-14-2015 05:36 PM)YNot Wrote:  Wouldn't the compromise of an early December start and mid-April finish be feasible? Even more desirable?

College basketball season could start right as the CFB season is ending. Turn the focus to basketball during the pre-bowl CFB lull with a bunch of tip-off classics and neutral-site bball tournaments. Conference play starts right after the CFP national championship game.

Final Four weekend could flow right into the NBA Round 1 tip off. Still have the Conference tournaments at the end of March for March Madness - which turns into the NCAA Tournament and April Absurdity!

Probably the route they end up going, if they make a change. The most I could see is pushing back from (using 2015 for an example) November 13th to November 27th. I could see ESPN doing their 24 hours of basketball thing on Black Friday start it at 10 AM and go until 10 AM that Saturday. Very cool stuff. That would push the National Title Game to April 19, 2016, if a policy were in place this year.

(10-14-2015 05:36 PM)YNot Wrote:  Wouldn't the compromise of an early December start and mid-April finish be feasible? Even more desirable?

College basketball season could start right as the CFB season is ending. Turn the focus to basketball during the pre-bowl CFB lull with a bunch of tip-off classics and neutral-site bball tournaments. Conference play starts right after the CFP national championship game.

Final Four weekend could flow right into the NBA Round 1 tip off. Still have the Conference tournaments at the end of March for March Madness - which turns into the NCAA Tournament and April Absurdity!

Only reason I have to be against that is it puts early games/tournaments right in the middle of Fall finals.

That's not fair to bball athletes.

What's wrong with just having the season start after New Year's (and making sure not to have any on CFP national title game)?

If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

(10-14-2015 04:51 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Then play the tournament in large arenas that aren't NBA/NHL and domed NFL stadiums.

For example, the Metrodome in Mpls hosted an NCAA tournament in the late 2000's.


Basketball should be a one semester sport, like football almost is (taking out the bowl games). Perhaps pre-season stuff in Dec. But regular season shouldn't start until after Fall finals are over and the kids have had a week off for Xmas break.

That's my opinion.

I agree. Never liked the fact that basketball was allowed to be a two semester sport. Moving the start of the season back would greatly improve the viewership of the sport.

(10-15-2015 03:37 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

Well hey, look at that! It leads to the second correct answer: move college baseball season back to start in May, and give cold climate schools a fair chance at home games.

(10-15-2015 09:18 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:37 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

Well hey, look at that! It leads to the second correct answer: move college baseball season back to start in May, and give cold climate schools a fair chance at home games.

Where's the 'Like' button?

(10-15-2015 09:21 AM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 09:18 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:37 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

Well hey, look at that! It leads to the second correct answer: move college baseball season back to start in May, and give cold climate schools a fair chance at home games.

Where's the 'Like' button?

Haha, thanks.

Of course, we both know that the PAC, XII, ACC and SEC like their unfair monopoly on home games in the early college baseball season, to allow such a thing to happen.

But let's not derail the thread too much with this.

(10-15-2015 09:18 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:37 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

Well hey, look at that! It leads to the second correct answer: move college baseball season back to start in May, and give cold climate schools a fair chance at home games.

So play when school is out?

(10-15-2015 02:04 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 09:18 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:37 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they move it back, the season will more or less completely coincide with college baseball. They could condense the season and mandate that all but one non-conference game must be in a certain span. Give a range for conference tournaments to be played, which TV would hate but would save a full week during championship week. Do stuff like that and all of a sudden you cut 2-3 weeks out the season, which could last from post-Christmas to sometime in March.

They could also mandate that all non-conference games can be played before Christmas but none can be scheduled afterwards without a special exemption (such as a charity event a la Coaches vs. Cancer).

Well hey, look at that! It leads to the second correct answer: move college baseball season back to start in May, and give cold climate schools a fair chance at home games.

So play when school is out?

I don't know many schools that are done with spring semester at the beginning of May.

a lot of schools are done beginning of May.

Baseball won't move later because MLB will still have their draft in early June. And there would be a lot of players that once they got drafted would leave college and start playing Pro ball.

nothing is going to move. Way too many obstacles.

Which schools are done first week of May?

I know University of Alabama is done on May 6. Looking Florida is April 29. Lots of schools in the SE are that early.

(10-15-2015 03:02 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Which schools are done first week of May?

Pretty much most all of them. The ones that don't have January minimesters anyway. The ones that go deep into may mostly don't start back up until the end of January and have an extra "summer" style session in January (like my alma mater Maryland). For example here is Michigan's calendar:

Ann Arbor Campus

Classes begin Jan 6, Wed
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day University Symposia. No Regular Classes. Jan 18, Mon
Vacation begins 12:00 noon Feb 27, Sat
Classes resume Mar 7, Mon
University Honors Convocation Mar 20, Sun
Classes end Apr 18, Mon
Study Days Apr 19, Tues & Apr 22-24, Fri-Sun
Examinations Apr 20-21, Wed-Thur & Apr 25-28, Mon-Thur
Grades Due 72 Hours After Exam
Commencement Activities Apr 28 - May 1, Thur-Sun


Here is Ohio State's
Not in a good format for pasting, but Finals end May 3.



And just from glancing around, even the ones who are not done by the beginning of May, are in finals then, with classes already over. Most anyway.

Ohio state and most ohio schools used to start in late september and end in june. They switched to semesters from trimesters a few years ago though and that has changed things.

(10-15-2015 03:22 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:02 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Which schools are done first week of May?

Pretty much most all of them. The ones that don't have January minimesters anyway. The ones that go deep into may mostly don't start back up until the end of January and have an extra "summer" style session in January (like my alma mater Maryland). For example here is Michigan's calendar:

Ann Arbor Campus

Classes begin Jan 6, Wed
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day University Symposia. No Regular Classes. Jan 18, Mon
Vacation begins 12:00 noon Feb 27, Sat
Classes resume Mar 7, Mon
University Honors Convocation Mar 20, Sun
Classes end Apr 18, Mon
Study Days Apr 19, Tues & Apr 22-24, Fri-Sun
Examinations Apr 20-21, Wed-Thur & Apr 25-28, Mon-Thur
Grades Due 72 Hours After Exam
Commencement Activities Apr 28 - May 1, Thur-Sun


Here is Ohio State's
Not in a good format for pasting, but Finals end May 3.



And just from glancing around, even the ones who are not done by the beginning of May, are in finals then, with classes already over. Most anyway.

The Northeast tends to go later than most of the country. UCONN for example:

Classes End: April 29
Finals: May 2 - May 9

(10-15-2015 03:32 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:22 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(10-15-2015 03:02 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Which schools are done first week of May?

Pretty much most all of them. The ones that don't have January minimesters anyway. The ones that go deep into may mostly don't start back up until the end of January and have an extra "summer" style session in January (like my alma mater Maryland). For example here is Michigan's calendar:

Ann Arbor Campus

Classes begin Jan 6, Wed
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day University Symposia. No Regular Classes. Jan 18, Mon
Vacation begins 12:00 noon Feb 27, Sat
Classes resume Mar 7, Mon
University Honors Convocation Mar 20, Sun
Classes end Apr 18, Mon
Study Days Apr 19, Tues & Apr 22-24, Fri-Sun
Examinations Apr 20-21, Wed-Thur & Apr 25-28, Mon-Thur
Grades Due 72 Hours After Exam
Commencement Activities Apr 28 - May 1, Thur-Sun


Here is Ohio State's
Not in a good format for pasting, but Finals end May 3.



And just from glancing around, even the ones who are not done by the beginning of May, are in finals then, with classes already over. Most anyway.

The Northeast tends to go later than most of the country. UCONN for example:

Classes End: April 29
Finals: May 2 - May 9

not really though. Alabama May 6(a Friday) UConn May 9(the following Monday). Not a big difference at all(and one that a good bit of students would be out by the 6th anyways at UConn)....