2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season explained

Year:2024
Preseason Ap:Kansas
Regular Season:November 4, 2024−March 16, 2025
Tourney Start:March 18
Nc Date:April 7, 2025
Champ Stad:Alamodome
Champ City:San Antonio, Texas

The 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 4, 2024. The regular season will end on March 16, 2025, with the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament beginning with the First Four on March 18 and ending with the championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on April 7.

Rule changes

On May 2, 2024, the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee proposed a few rule changes for the 2024–25 season. These changes were approved on June 6 by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.[1] [2]

Season headlines

Milestones and records

Conference membership changes

A total of 23 schools joined new conferences for the 2024–25 season. Of these, 20 moved within Division I, two began reclassification from NCAA Division II, and Chicago State ended its two-year stint as an all-sports independent to join the Northeast Conference.

SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference
ArizonaPac-12Big 12
Arizona StatePac-12Big 12
CaliforniaPac-12ACC
Chicago StateIndependentNEC
ColoradoPac-12Big 12
Kennesaw StateASUNCUSA
MercyhurstPSAC (D–II)NEC
MerrimackNECMAAC
OklahomaBig 12SEC
OregonPac-12Big Ten
Oregon StatePac-12WCC
Sacred HeartNECMAAC
SMUAACACC
StanfordPac-12ACC
Stephen F. AustinWACSouthland
TexasBig 12SEC
UCLAPac-12Big Ten
USCPac-12Big Ten
UtahPac-12Big 12
UTRGVWACSouthland
WashingtonPac-12Big Ten
Washington StatePac-12WCC
West GeorgiaGulf South (D–II)ASUN

The 2024–25 will be the last season in their respective conferences for at least five Division I schools.

School2024–25 conferenceFuture conference
DelawareCAACUSA
Independent or MW
CUSA
WAC
UMassA-10MAC

Arenas

New arenas

Arena of new D-I teams

Arena name changes

Other arena changes

Seasonal outlook

See main article: 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings. The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaching polls

Pre-season polls

Top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP poll Top 25.

Regular season

Postseason

Regular season

Early-season tournaments

NamesDatesLocationTeamsChampionRunner-up3rd-place winner
Greenbrier Tip-OffNovember 15–24, 2024The Greenbrier
(White Sulphur Springs, WV)
8Wisconsin (Mountain)
UT Rio Grande Valley (River)
Pittsburgh (Mountain)
Tennessee Tech (River)
LSU (Mountain)
VMI (River)
Bahamas ChampionshipNovember 21−22, 2024Baha Mar Convention Center
(Nassau, Bahamas)
4TennesseeBaylorSt. John's
Legends ClassicNovember 21−22, 2024Barclays Center
(Brooklyn, NY)
4TexasSaint Joseph'sTexas Tech
Boardwalk BattleNovember 21−23, 2024Ocean Center
(Daytona Beach, FL)
8UC San DiegoToledoJames Madison
Charleston ClassicNovember 21–24, 2024TD Arena
(Charleston, SC)
8DrakeVanderbiltSeton Hall
Myrtle Beach InvitationalNovember 21–24, 2024HTC Center
(Conway, SC)
8BradleyMiddle TennesseeSouth Florida
Paradise Jam tournamentNovember 22−25, 2024Sports and Fitness Center
(Saint Thomas, USVI)
8LibertyMcNeeseKansas State
Cayman Islands ClassicNovember 24−26, 2024John Gray Gymnasium
(George Town, Cayman Islands)
8Boston CollegeBoise StateSouth Dakota State
Sunshine SlamNovember 25–26, 2024Ocean Center
(Daytona Beach, FL)
8Clemson (Beach)
Radford (Ocean)
Penn State (Beach)
Purdue Fort Wayne (Ocean)
San Francisco (Beach)
Drexel (Ocean)
Fort Myers Tip-OffNovember 25–27, 2024Suncoast Credit Union Arena
(Fort Myers, FL)
8Michigan (Beach)
Miami (OH) (Palms)
Xavier (Beach)
Mercer (Palms)
South Carolina (Beach)
Jacksonville (Palms)
Maui InvitationalNovember 25–27, 2024Lahaina Civic Center
(Lahaina, HI)
8AuburnMemphisMichigan State
Acrisure Holiday InvitationalNovember 26–27, 2024Acrisure Arena
(Palm Desert, CA)
4SMUWashington StateCalifornia Baptist
Cancún ChallengeNovember 26–27, 2024Hard Rock Hotel – Riviera Maya
(Cancún, Mexico)
8Loyola Marymount (Riviera)
Gardner–Webb (Mayan)
Wyoming (Riviera)
Bethune–Cookman (Mayan)
Belmont (Riviera)
Southeastern Louisiana (Mayan)
Players Era FestivalNovember 26–30, 2024MGM Grand Garden Arena
(Paradise, NV)
8OregonAlabamaSan Diego State
Battle 4 AtlantisNovember 27−29, 2024Imperial Arena
(Paradise Island, Bahamas)
8OklahomaLouisvilleWest Virginia
Acrisure ClassicNovember 28−29, 2024Acrisure Arena
(Palm Desert, CA)
4Arizona StateSaint Mary'sNew Mexico
Acrisure InvitationalNovember 28−29, 2024Acrisure Arena
(Palm Desert, CA)
4WashingtonSanta ClaraColorado State
ESPN Events InvitationalNovember 28−29, 2024State Farm Field House
(Lake Buena Vista, FL)
4FloridaWichita StateWake Forest
NIT Season Tip-OffNovember 28−29, 2024State Farm Field House
(Lake Buena Vista, FL)
4Utah StateNorth TexasSt. Bonaventure
Rady Children's InvitationalNovember 28−29, 2024LionTree Arena
(San Diego, CA)
4PurdueOle MissBYU
Arizona Tip-OffNovember 28−30, 2024Mullett Arena
(Tempe, AZ)
8Butler (Cactus)
Weber State (Desert)
Mississippi State (Cactus)
Pepperdine (Desert)
Northwestern (Cactus)
Bowling Green (Desert)
Big 5 ClassicNovember 12−December 7, 2024Wells Fargo Center (final rounds)
(Philadelphia, PA)
6TBD
Sun Bowl InvitationalDecember 20−21, 2024Don Haskins Center
(El Paso, TX)
4TBD
Diamond Head ClassicDecember 22−25, 2024Stan Sheriff Center
(Honolulu, HI)
8TBD

Head-to-head conference challenges

Conference matchupDatesConference winnerConference loserRecord
ACC–SEC ChallengeDecember 3−4SECACC
ASUN–SoCon ChallengeNovember 4−December 16
Big Sky–Summit ChallengeDecember 4−7
Big East–Big 12 BattleDecember 3−9
Conference USA–WAC ChallengeNovember 9−December 30
MAC–SBC ChallengeNovember 4−February 8

Upsets

WinnerScoreLoserDateTournament/eventNotes
UCF64–61No. 13 Texas A&MNovember 4, 2024
Ohio State80–72No. 19 TexasHall of Fame Series - Las Vegas
New Mexico72–64No. 22 UCLANovember 8, 2024Las Vegas HoopfestGame played in Henderson, NV
Wisconsin103–88No. 9 ArizonaNovember 15, 2024
Nebraska74–63No. 14 CreightonNovember 22, 2024Rivalry
Georgia66–63No. 22 St. John'sNovember 24, 2024Atlantis Resort SeriesGame played at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas
Kennesaw State79–77No. 24 RutgersFirst win over an AP Top 25 opponent in school history
Memphis99–97OTNo. 2 UConnNovember 25, 2024Maui Invitational
San Diego State71–53No. 21 CreightonNovember 26, 2024Players Era Festival
Colorado73–72No. 2 UConnMaui Invitational
Oregon80–70No. 20 Texas A&MPlayers Era Festival
Louisville89–61No. 14 IndianaNovember 27, 2024Battle 4 Atlantis
West Virginia86–78OTNo. 3 GonzagaFirst overtime win for West Virginia since 2019
Michigan78–53No. 22 XavierFort Myers Tip-Off
Michigan State94–91OTNo. 12 North CarolinaMaui Invitational
Dayton85–67No. 2 UConnFirst top 2 team to lose to unranked opponent for three consecutive days.
Illinois90–77No. 19 ArkansasNovember 28, 2024Thanksgiving Hoops ShowcaseGame played in Kansas City, MO
Oklahoma82–77No. 24 ArizonaBattle 4 Atlantis
West Virginia83–76OTNovember 29, 2024
Butler87–77No. 25 Mississippi StateArizona Tip-Off
San Diego State73–70OTNo. 6 HoustonNovember 30, 2024Players Era Festival
Oregon83–81No. 9 Alabama
Villanova68–60No. 14 CincinnatiDecember 3, 2024Big East–Big 12 Battle
Michigan67–64No. 11 Wisconsin
Clemson70–66No. 4 KentuckyACC–SEC Challenge
Creighton76–63No. 1 KansasDecember 4, 2024Big East–Big 12 Battle
In addition to the above listed upsets in which an unranked team defeated a ranked team, there have been two non-Division I teams that defeated a Division I team so far this season. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes).
WinnerScoreLoserDateTournament/eventNotes
62–56[25] Alcorn State
Rogers State 69–68[26] Oral Roberts

Conference winners and tournaments

Each of the 31 Division I athletic conferences will end its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference receives the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. Unless otherwise noted, the winners of these tournaments will receive automatic invitations to the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

Conference Regular
season first place
Conference player of the year Conference coach of the year Conference
tournament
Tournament
venue (city)
Tournament
winner
America East Conference2025 America East men's basketball tournamentCampus sites
American Athletic Conference2025 American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournamentDickies Arena
(Fort Worth, TX)
Atlantic Sun Conference2025 ASUN men's basketball tournamentCampus sites
Atlantic 10 Conference2025 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournamentCapital One Arena
(Washington, D.C.)
Atlantic Coast Conference2025 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournamentSpectrum Center
(Charlotte, NC)
Big 12 Conference2025 Big 12 Conference men's basketball tournamentT-Mobile Center
(Kansas City, MO)
Big East Conference2025 Big East Conference men's basketball tournamentMadison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
Big Sky Conference2025 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournamentIdaho Central Arena
(Boise, ID)
Big South Conference2025 Big South Conference men's basketball tournamentFreedom Hall Civic Center
(Johnson City, TN)
Big Ten Conference2025 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournamentGainbridge Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN)
Big West Conference2025 Big West Conference men's basketball tournamentLee's Family Forum
(Henderson, NV)
Coastal Athletic Association2025 CAA men's basketball tournamentEntertainment and Sports Arena
(Washington, D.C.)
Conference USA2025 Conference USA men's basketball tournamentPropst Arena
(Huntsville, AL)
Horizon League2025 Horizon League men's basketball tournamentQuarterfinals: Campus sites
Semifinals and final:
Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)
Ivy League2025 Ivy League men's basketball tournamentPizzitola Sports Center
(Providence, RI)
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference2025 MAAC men's basketball tournamentBoardwalk Hall
(Atlantic City, NJ)
Mid-American Conference2025 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournamentRocket Mortgage FieldHouse
(Cleveland, OH)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference2025 MEAC men's basketball tournamentNorfolk Scope
(Norfolk, VA)
Missouri Valley Conference2025 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournamentEnterprise Center
(St. Louis, MO)
Mountain West Conference2025 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournamentThomas & Mack Center
(Paradise, NV)
Northeast Conference2025 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournamentCampus sites
Ohio Valley Conference2025 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournamentFord Center
(Evansville, IN)
Patriot League2025 Patriot League men's basketball tournamentCampus sites
Southeastern Conference2025 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournamentBridgestone Arena
(Nashville, TN)
Southern Conference2025 Southern Conference men's basketball tournamentHarrah's Cherokee Center
(Asheville, NC)
Southland Conference2025 Southland Conference men's basketball tournamentThe Legacy Center
(Lake Charles, LA)
Southwestern Athletic Conference2025 SWAC men's basketball tournamentGateway Center Arena
(College Park, GA)
Summit League2025 Summit League men's basketball tournamentDenny Sanford Premier Center
(Sioux Falls, SD)
Sun Belt Conference2025 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournamentPensacola Bay Center
(Pensacola, FL)
West Coast Conference2025 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournamentOrleans Arena
(Paradise, NV)
Western Athletic Conference2025 WAC men's basketball tournament

Coaching changes

Many teams will change coaches during the season and after it ends.

TeamFormer
Interim
New
Reason
South FloridaAmir Abdur-RahimBen FletcherThe 43-year-old Abdur-Rahim passed away on October 24, 2024, just 11 days before beginning his second season as South Florida head coach, following complications during a medical procedure at a Tampa hospital. In his first and only season at USF, he led the team to a school record 25 wins, an American Athletic Conference regular season championship, and was named AAC Coach of the Year.[27] 5 days after his death, Bulls associate head coach Fletcher was named interim head coach for the season.[28]
VirginiaTony BennettRon SanchezVirginia announced on October 17, 2024 that Bennett had retired, effective immediately, and made a formal announcement the next day. Bennett leaves the Cavaliers after 15 seasons as the winningest head coach of the program with 364 wins, 10 NCAA tournament appearances, six ACC regular-season titles, two ACC tournament championships, and a national title in 2019.[29] Associate head coach Sanchez, who rejoined the staff last season after spending the past 5 seasons as Charlotte head coach, was named interim head coach for the season.[30]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Expanded video replay review proposed for men’s basketball . 5 November 2024 . NCAA . May 2, 2024.
  2. News: Expanded video replay review approved for men’s basketball . 5 November 2024 . NCAA . June 6, 2024.
  3. Web site: Hall Of Fame Coach John Calipari To Lead Razorback Basketball . arkansasrazorbacks.com. April 10, 2024 .
  4. SFA Athletics Accepts Invitation to Join Southland Conference in 2024-25 . Southland Conference . May 29, 2024 . May 29, 2024.
  5. News: 'A no-brainer.' New IU Indy basketball coach Paul Corsaro will 'start in our backyard.' . Neddenreip . Kyle . Indianapolis Star . April 1, 2024 . June 7, 2024.
  6. Ushering in a new era, the Pac-12 Conference strengthens its legacy by welcoming four respected academic and athletic universities . Pac-12 Conference . September 12, 2024 . September 14, 2024.
  7. Pac-12 Conference and Utah State University Unite to Advance the New Era of the 100-Year-Old Legacy . Pac-12 Conference . September 24, 2024 . September 25, 2024.
  8. Pac-12 Conference and Gonzaga University Unite to Build a Basketball Powerhouse, Advancing the New Era of the Conference's 100-Year Legacy . Pac-12 Conference . September 30, 2024 . October 1, 2024.
  9. Mountain West Welcomes UTEP Into The Conference . Mountain West Conference . October 1, 2024 . October 1, 2024.
  10. DI Council approves changes to notification-of-transfer windows in basketball, football . NCAA . October 9, 2024 . October 9, 2024.
  11. Mountain West Officially Welcomes Hawaiʻi as a Full-Time Member . Mountain West Conference . October 15, 2024 . October 15, 2024.
  12. News: Duke’s Cooper Flagg makes preseason AP All-America team as ACC, Big 12, SEC each place 2 players . Associated Press . APNews.com . October 21, 2024 . November 11, 2024 .
  13. Web site: 2024-10-24 . South Florida Head Men’s Basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim Passes Away. 2024-10-24. USF Athletics. en.
  14. Mountain West Officially Welcomes Grand Canyon University . Mountain West Conference . November 1, 2024 . November 1, 2024.
  15. GCU accepts invite to Mountain West Conference . Grand Canyon Antelopes . November 1, 2024 . November 1, 2024 . In joining the Mountain West Conference, GCU has formally declined an invitation from the West Coast Conference that would have seen the Lopes become WCC members on July 1, 2025..
  16. Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Approves Name Change for Texas A&M University-Commerce . East Texas A&M University . November 7, 2024 . November 9, 2024.
  17. News: Paul . Newberry . Bill Self brushes off becoming winningest coach in Kansas history, passing Phog Allen . apnews.com . November 12, 2024 . November 21, 2024.
  18. News: Jordan . Guskey . Kansas basketball coach Bill Self reaches 800 career wins with victory vs UNCW . cjonline.com . November 20, 2024 . November 21, 2024.
  19. Web site: McDermott Becomes Winningest Coach in Victory Over Huskies .
  20. News: The Division I team that set records after humiliating a former bible college school by 100 points . Kyle . Boone . CBSSports.com . November 19, 2024 . November 20, 2024.
  21. Web site: Aubrey . Josh . July 31, 2024 . Convocation center nears opening . October 6, 2024 . TheGeorgeanne.com.
  22. Web site: November 5, 2023 . Neighborhood Group Court For Environmental Review Of New St. Thomas Arena . November 5, 2023 . MPRNews.org.
  23. Web site: September 28, 2022 . UVM Sports Complex Arena Still On Hold Wellness Center Open . September 28, 2022 . WCAX.com.
  24. NCAA basketball returns to Knights Hall as Bellarmine celebrates full Division I membership after successful reclassification process . Bellarmine Knights . August 28, 2024 . August 28, 2024.
  25. Web site: November 9, 2024. Xavier (LA) 62-56 Alcorn State (Nov 9, 2024) Final Score -ESPN. November 9, 2024 . ESPN.com.
  26. Web site: November 25, 2024. Rogers State 69-68 Oral Roberts (Nov 25, 2024) Final Score -ESPN. November 25, 2024 . ESPN.com.
  27. South Florida Head Men’s Basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim Passes Away. South Florida Bulls. October 24, 2024. October 24, 2024.
  28. South Florida Athletics Names Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach. South Florida Bulls. October 29, 2024. October 29, 2024.
  29. Tony Bennett to Announce Retirement on Friday at 11 a.m. . Virginia Cavaliers . October 17, 2024 . October 17, 2024.
  30. News: Virginia coaching candidates: Ron Sanchez named interim coach for 2024-25, search begins to replace Bennett. cbssports.com. Kyle. Boone. October 18, 2024. October 22, 2024.