College Basketball Season 2026-27: 10 Things to Know

College basketball is back, and the road to March Madness looks a little different this season. The 2026–27 campaign tips off with a doubleheader in Rome and brings new faces to some of the sport’s biggest coaching jobs, familiar championship contenders and an expanded NCAA Tournament that gives more teams a shot at a national title.

The transfer portal continues to reshape rosters, the women’s game has another compelling championship race and the season’s biggest questions will start to be answered on Sunday, Nov. 1:

Whether you follow every possession or tune in when the stakes rise in March, here are 10 things to know about the 2026-27 college basketball season:

Michigan beat UConn in last season’s men’s title game to win the program’s second national title, while the UCLA women toppled South Carolina to win their first national championship. Photos by Michael Reaves/Getty Images (Michigan) and Chris Graythen/Getty Images (UCLA)

1. Florida, Duke and Illinois lead the men’s conversation

Florida opens the season at No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, followed by Duke and Illinois. UConn and Arizona round out the top five, with Michigan State, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Houston completing the top 10.

Defending national champion Michigan is No. 16.

The rankings offer an early snapshot of the national championship race, though they are hardly a guarantee of what will happen over the next five months.

2. South Carolina and UConn headline the women’s title race

South Carolina begins the season at No. 1 in the preseason women’s AP Top 25 poll, narrowly ahead of UConn. USC, Duke and Michigan round out the top five.

Texas, Louisville, Vanderbilt, LSU and Iowa complete the top 10, underscoring the depth of the early championship conversation.

Defending national champion UCLA is No. 11.

3. The season tips off in Rome

The season begins on an international stage on Sunday, Nov. 1, when Notre Dame and Villanova meet in a men’s and women’s doubleheader at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome.

The Eternal City Tip-Off brings together two prominent Catholic universities for an opening-day event inspired in part by the election of Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova graduate. It also marks the first international event for Players Era, one of the organizers.

The men’s game airs at 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox, followed by the women’s matchup at noon ET on FS1.

4. A men’s coaching carousel full of big names

North Carolina made the biggest splash, hiring former NBA coach Michael Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to a title in 2023.

N.C. State brought in Justin Gainey, a former team captain for the Wolfpack. Arizona State landed longtime Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett. LSU brought Will Wade back to Baton Rouge after his stops at McNeese State and N.C. State.

There are plenty of other intriguing hires, too. Michigan turned to Mike Boynton Jr. after Dusty May left for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Georgia Tech hired two-time NCAA Tournament coach Scott Cross. Cincinnati brought home former Bearcats player Jerrod Calhoun. Syracuse brought in fan-favorite Gerry McNamara, who led Siena to the NCAA Tournament last March

Kansas State turned to Belmont’s Casey Alexander, who arrives in Manhattan after winning 166 games and four conference titles in seven seasons with the Bruins. Providence has a new leader in Bryan Hodgson, who helped South Florida reach the NCAA Tournament last season. And Boston College hired Luke Murray to get the Eagles to their first NCAA tourney since 2009.

5. Women’s coaching carousel has plenty of intrigue, too

Florida hired Tammi Reiss after she led Rhode Island to a school-record 28 wins, while South Florida brought in veteran coach Kristy Curry after 13 seasons at Alabama.

The Crimson Tide hired Pauline Love, a former Alabama assistant who spent last season as Oklahoma’s associate head coach, to replace Curry.

Northwestern landed Carla Berube, who built Princeton into an Ivy League power, and Virginia turned to Aaron Roussell after his successful run at Richmond.

Penn State brought back former star Tanisha Wright, who previously coached in the WNBA, while Pitt hired Robin Harmony after she led Charleston to a program-record 27 wins.

Georgia hired Ayla Guzzardo, who led McNeese State to a school-record 29 wins in 2025-26. And Boston College brought in Kate Popovec-Goss after her four-year stint at Bradley.

6. Transfer portal reshapes men’s title race

Duke landed one of the biggest prizes in Wisconsin guard John Blackwell, who averaged 19.1 points per game last season.

Kentucky added Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic, one of the nation’s best 3-point threats, while Tennessee grabbed Wake Forest standout Juke Harris after his breakout 21.4-point sophomore season.

Louisville also made a major move by bringing in Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, a defensive force who should help shore up the Cardinals’ interior.

St. John’s added Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou, who averaged 17.8 points per game, and Texas A&M landed Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty, another proven scorer.

7. Transfers to know in the women’s game

Oklahoma State landed two of the biggest names in the women’s transfer portal, adding Iowa State star Audi Crooks (25.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season) and Florida guard Liv McGill (22.5 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds).

South Carolina added Texas guard Jordan Lee (13.2 points per game) as the Gamecocks look to get back to the top, while UCLA brought in Iowa State forward Addy Brown, who averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in limited action last season.

LSU added Iowa State point guard Jada Williams, who averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game, while Tennessee brought in former Maryland standout Kaylene Smikle, a first-team All-Big Ten selection before her season was cut short by knee surgery. And Iowa landed Dani Carnegie, who 18.4 points last season for Georgia.

8. Early-season nonconference games not to miss

Even though the college basketball season is just getting started, fans won’t have to wait long for marquee matchups and early-season measuring sticks.

The men’s schedule features a mix of powerhouse showdowns, neutral-site battles and intriguing tests between programs looking to make a statement, while the women’s slate is loaded with national title contenders and potential Final Four previews.

Here are 10 nonconference games worth circling on your calendar:

Men

Florida vs. Miami (6 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 2, in Tampa/ESPN2)
UConn vs. Michigan (8 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 6, in Boston/TNT)
Duke vs. Michigan State (7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Chicago/ESPN)
Georgia at North Carolina (7 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13/ESPN2)
Illinois at Duke (7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 17/ESPN)

Women

UConn at Michigan (6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5/FS1)
South Carolina vs. North Carolina (5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 8, in Charlotte/ESPN)
South Carolina vs. USC (1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 15, in Greenville, S.C./ABC)
UConn vs. South Carolina (8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24, in Uncasville, Conn./FS1)
Duke vs. Texas (6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 19, in Las Vegas/ESPN2)

9. March Madness is getting bigger

The biggest structural change arrives in March, when both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments expand from 68 teams to 76.

The expanded format adds eight teams to each field and increases the number of games before the traditional 64-team bracket from four to 12. The new opening round will feature 24 teams competing for 12 spots over two days.

For the men, those games are scheduled for March 16-17. The women’s opening round is March 17-18.

After the opening round, the familiar 64-team bracket remains intact. The traditional first and second rounds, regionals and Final Four are not being replaced.

A key question: Will the expanded field produce more memorable Cinderella runs, or will the additional spots mostly go to teams that would have been on the bubble anyway?

10. Selection Sunday will have a new wrinkle

The expanded tournament will add teams, but it will not eliminate the arguments that make Selection Sunday (March 14, 2027) such a major event.

The selection committee will still have to evaluate teams based on their overall résumés, including quality wins, difficult losses, strength of schedule and performance away from home.

Conference tournament results can also change the picture in the final days before the bracket is revealed.

The difference is that 76 teams will make the field, giving more programs a chance to keep their seasons alive.