Men’s & Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees To Propose Nov. 25th Start

CBS Sports reported earlier today that both the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees have jointly agreed to recommend the start date of Nov. 25 to the Division I Council. This comes after consideration of a variety of schedule models and start dates reported on last month. The Division I Council is scheduled to meet on Sept. 16, and are expected to vote on the start date for the season then.

It was cautioned, however, that the proposal being sent is still subject to change pending the shifting nature of college athletics in the country and delays may further push the season start date back regardless. Big Ten fans are certainly more than familiar with those words of caution, however.

The date is an interesting result as the one most heavily favored in a large scale survey of athletic directors reported last week was for a January start date with a limited non-conference schedule leading into a conference season. However, the Thanksgiving start date received the second-highest vote among power six athletic directors, and the previously scheduled Nov. 10 start date was the second-most favored among all 258 polled. In discussions among the various committees tasked with deciding on the proposal to submit for a vote, Pac-12 officials in particular were reported by CBS to favor a Dec. 4 start date. This seems to suggest the league is open to altering their decision to postpone all sports until at least Jan. 1, 2021.

If the proposal is passed, it is unclear what impact will occur for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska is one of the few teams with a full non-conference schedule released. There are three games scheduled prior to the new start date, and the entirety of the Myrtle Beach Invitational occurs prior to the new start date of Nov. 25th. While the Huskers are not participating in the Gavitt Games this season, they are still to take part in the annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge scheduled for after the Nov. 25th start date. As these questions become clearer of whether games will be dropped or rescheduled, be sure to check back for the updated news.