Ad Disclosure
NCAA allows for DI teams to schedule exhibition basketball games against any opponent
Published:
NCAA decision-makers announced a big change for college basketball starting in the 2025-26 season.
The organization released an official press release on Wednesday declaring that DI teams can now freely schedule up to 2 exhibition games against any four-year school, including other D1 teams.
Previously, D1 teams who wished to play an exhibition had to be granted a waiver and the proceeds from these games had to be donated to charity. This proposal eliminates that requirement as well, with proceeds being allowed to be distributed how the schools see fit.
Additionally, the NCAA also decided to eliminate the requirement that preseason practice scrimmages be conducted in private and without official scoring.
These new rules were proposed and discussed at the NCAA Convention in Nashville. On Tuesday, the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee approved the proposal.
Going forward, schools will likely take advantage of this freedom. Scheduling a notable opponent, even for an exhibition, will excite fanbases and bring in additional revenue for the school. Previously, these games benefitted charities but not the school’s athletic department itself.
Until now, most D1 schools had scheduled exhibitions with DII, DIII, or NAIA schools. Now, it could be more commonplace to see 2 Power conference schools battling it out to test themselves before the season gets underway.
The committee also agreed to a couple of modifications to the recruiting calendar. July 10-13 and July 17-20 will now be evaluation periods for Division I men’s basketball for coaches to attend NCAA-certified nonscholastic events from 8 a.m. each Thursday through 6 p.m. each Sunday.
Finally, the committee approved a recommendation from the National Basketball Coaches Association to create a quiet period July 28-31, so coaches can host camps and prospects on campus and added Aug. 4-5 as a dead period.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
