D-I Council Expected to Vote on College Basketball Wednesday
The NCAA Division I Council set to vote Wednesday on moving the start of the college hoops season to November 21. According to a tweet from Jeff Goldman, whose source also said there would be a recommendation of playing a minimum of 4 non-conference games and potential to start 8 hours per week to work with players.
It has been previously reported that the NCAA's Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committee would propose a start date of November 25 to the Division I Council for the 2020-21 season, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
However, it now appears that the Council will move forward rather than delay the start of the season as the season was initially scheduled to begin Nov.10.
In mid-August, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said that despite uncertainty about COVID-19, there would be March Madness in 2021, according to an article by ben Pickman of Sports Illustrated.
"We are going to have a tournament," Gavitt said in a conversation with Andy Katz, 2021 selection committee chair Mitch Barnhart and longtime basketball coach Craig Robinson. "It's going to be special. We have our preferences about how we'd like to have it be, but if we have to adjust to the virus, which we don't control, we will adjust accordingly. The health and safety of the players and the coaches and all the people around the games — the referees and fans — will be primary. But ultimately, it will also include determining a national champion in the fairest and most equitable way that we can under these unusual circumstances."
While there are still many details to be considered and decided upon before any NCAA Tournament can be set, the fact that the powers that be are working towards a season should be viewed as an encouraging sign.
However, as with the current football season, it is unclear if any of the conferences might decide to forgo their seasons over health and safety concerns.
That possibility could present a speed bump for the NCAA moving forward. However, it would not likely cause them to reconsider a season-ending tournament championship event for those conferences and schools that choose to participate.
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A 29 year veteran of radio in the Middle Tennessee area and 16 years in digital and internet media having covered the Tennessee Titans for Scout Media and TitanInsider.com before joining the Sports Illustrated family of networks.