May 28—The college basketball schedule will grow by one game — to 32 total — for the 2026-27 season. Brad Underwood would consider that barely a start toward what he envisions for the sport.
How an even further expanded schedule works, of course, is the question. The current issue is the fact the season has to end in time by the Masters because CBS holds the broadcast rights for both that and the NCAA tournament. College basketball scheduling works backwards from golf’s most popular major championship.
But Underwood sees a longer season coming to college basketball. Eventually. More league games and more games overall on the schedule.
It’s a change that might have more traction given the expansion of the NCAA tournament to 76 teams. Underwood also made note of the Big Ten including all 18 teams in its own conference tournament for the first time last season.
“College basketball is truly the only sport — professional or collegiate — that’s making a lot of money and hasn’t expanded,” Underwood said. “I think we have some opportunities to do that. I would love to see a true round robin — 34 league games — and play 8-10 non-league games. I think it’s great for the game.
‘I’m the biggest believer. The game of basketball has never been better. We’ve got great players playing in it. We’ve got young people making better decisions about going to the NBA and staying in college bacsue of NIL. I think the game is in a great, great spot, and we just need to keep expanding it.”