The NCAA has approved an increase in the maximum number of regular-season games for college basketball from 31 to 32, starting with the 2026-27 season.

A key motivation for this change is to facilitate participation in multi-team events, which had been challenging under the previous cap.

Financial considerations play a significant role in this decision, as more games can lead to increased revenue for schools.

The change aims to generate additional revenue for college programs, creating more opportunities for home and neutral-court game revenues.

The increase in games will provide teams with more flexibility to schedule non-conference matchups later in the season.

The new 32-game limit will include all games, even those against non-Division I opponents, which could impact scheduling during breaks and early in the season.

Power conferences like the Big Ten and SEC are expected to benefit from this change, as they have competitive league schedules that limit their nonconference opportunities.

While the additional game offers opportunities for star players and marquee matchups, it does not significantly alleviate the scheduling challenges faced by mid-major programs.

Historically successful mid-major teams may find it harder to secure games against higher-ranked teams, as power programs may avoid them to protect their standings.

Speculation exists that this increase may be the first step towards potentially expanding the regular season to 34 or 35 games by the early to mid-2030s.

The additional game allows programs to enhance their resumes by fitting in more high-profile matchups or holiday tournaments.

Although this change is seen as positive for some, it reinforces existing disparities between power conferences and mid-major programs in college basketball.