We're now in the final week of our 2026 Candid Coaches series. Links to all previous questions are at the bottom of this story. In July and August, college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander polled nearly 100 men's Division I coaches on a variety of questions about the sport.
Honesty was exchanged for anonymity. This is the seventh question of the bunch. For the previous 20 consecutive seasons — from 2006-07 until this past March — college basketball's regular season allowed for a maximum of 31 games.
In the years surrounding the turn of the century, teams played anywhere from 26 to 30 games, as each coach had a different set of scheduling intentions that determined how deep their regular seasons would be. This season will see an increase to a maximum of 32 games. Unlike previous years, which only allowed teams to hit 31 if they were in a multi-game event/tournament, teams can now get to 32 however they please.
College basketball's regular-season inventory in the non-con portion has always and likely will always be a medley of must-watch ranked matchups tossed in with far too many buy-game opportunities that are effectively schedule filler. The increase to 32 has opened a window for some teams to up their ambitions prior to league play. Among the throng of teams taking advantage of this extra regular season game by scheduling up and adding another notable matchup on the non-con slate: Connecticut, Duke, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida. (Then there are other high-major programs that coyly decided to add another Quad 4 game to the docket.
We'll see if those decisions backfire come Selection Sunday.) Was upping the regular season by one game warranted? Conversely: Is 32 games enough? With that in mind, we asked approximately 100 coaches: It took 20 years for college basketball's regular season to increase by one game.
Prediction: It will take less than half that time to increase it by at least another two. Although 49% of our voting contingent was satisfied topping out at 32 games, more coaches than not told us they are comfortable with expanding the season even more. (Note: 32 was the most common answer we received, though, with almost 20 votes.) Some think the season is going to grow for the same reason I do: these programs need more money in the era of player payments and empowerment. More games equals more opportunities for more money.
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