NCAA basketball season to begin Nov. 25

The NCAA selected Nov. 25 as the official start date for the upcoming 2020-21 college basketball season, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The date was picked after a meeting by the Division I Council.

"The new season start date near the Thanksgiving holiday provides the optimal opportunity to successfully launch the basketball season," NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said. "It is a grand compromise of sorts and a unified approach that focuses on the health and safety of student-athletes competing towards the 2021 Division I basketball championships."

Teams will begin holding full practices on Oct. 14. The maximum number of games teams can play this season is reduced from 31 to 27, while the minimum contests required for a school to qualify for the national championship tournament is 13.

No scrimmages or exhibitions will be held this year.

Non-conference schedules are still being determined in the wake of the reported new start date. The Division I Council has recommended a minimum of four non-conference matchups, according to NCAA.com's Andy Katz.

The college basketball season was originally scheduled to begin on Nov. 10.