NCAA inches closer to Mark Pope's dream by expanding to 32 regular-season games in 2026

Starting in 2026-27, college basketball teams can add one more game to their schedules. If you just heard a whoop of joy from the Joe Craft Center, it’s because we’re slowly inching towards Mark Pope’s dream of 40 regular-season games.

According to Matt Norlander, this afternoon, the NCAA Division I Council is expected to approve an increase from 31 to 32 regular-season games starting with the 2026-27 season. The Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees voted in favor of the change in March. Thirty-one games have been the max for regular-season schedules since 2006-07, when the format changed to 28 or 29 predetermined games plus three-game or two-game multi-team events. Starting in 2026, teams will have the option of adding one more regular-season game, which could take the total number of games played for teams in the NCAA championship game to 41.

Norlander says the NCAA and coaches hope the move will increase the number of quality non-conference games, the likelihood of some of those taking place in the middle of the conference schedule, and, of course, the potential for more revenue.

Multiple high-major coaches told CBS Sports in recent months that they are actively pursuing and hoping to play a nonconference game in the midst of the conference season moving forward, finding benefits in advance of postseason play in March. 

The move to 32 is also, naturally, being done with money in mind. One more game will mean one more home and/or neutral-court opportunity for a lot of high-major programs, which are now looking for revenue in any way possible after the House case settlement ushered in revenue sharing for college athletes. Home gates at games bring in more revenue to be able to pay athletes. Sources around college athletics speculated that the increase to 32 games is just the first phase, and that by early-to-mid 2030s the regular season could go to 34 or 35 games prior to the start of conference tournament play.

Matt Norlander, CBS Sports

I have a feeling Mark Pope might be one of the coaches Norlander spoke to. Pope has long advocated expanding the regular-season schedule to 40 games. Thirty-two is a good start.

“I just think it’s time to expand our season out to a 40-game season,” Pope said in late February. “Like, it should be a 40-game season, especially with all the change and the turnover and the lack of continuity of teams, and also with revenue sharing and everything else, it doesn’t make any sense that we’re at a 31-game season. It makes no sense. And so I’m a massive advocate, maybe the only one in the world. But we need to expand the season to 40 games. Even for the guys that go on to be pros, it gives them a better sense.”

Pope is already taking advantage of the NCAA’s new rules allowing Division I teams to play exhibitions against one another. Purdue and Georgetown will come to Rupp Arena in October for preseason games. He can’t get quite as creative as he’d like due to Kentucky’s prior scheduling obligations, but this should help. In May, he even suggested a 35-game regular-season schedule, telling reporters he wants to make Kentucky’s slate as challenging and entertaining as possible.

“Imagine if we have four extra games that we can put on our schedule, where we go play a big-time neutral game, and set up a home-and-home, and do an in-state game that people here really care about, and just give us a little more flexibility in this deal,” Pope said. “Come on, man, let us do a home-and-home with Kansas. Let’s go. Why am I not going to Storrs to play a game? We need some more flexibility. And also, let us get to Maui.”

Baby steps. Also, someone should probably get a head start on those Mark Pope 41-0 jerseys/shirts.