NCAA Basketball

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) organises the majority of college and university sport across North America & Canada. It was established in 1906 to create a standardised set of rules for college sport.

College basketball is split into three divisions: I, II and III. Division I is further split into 32 conferences, containing 346 schools. The winner of each conference is guaranteed a spot in the hugely popular Championship tournament - also known as March Madness.

March Madness

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is held annually in the spring, and currently consists of 68 teams competing in a single-elimination tournament format. The 32 Division 1 Conference winners are all guaranteed a place in the tournament, with the rest being made up of committee selections.

The competition, branded as March Madness, has become one of America's most popular sporting festivals and is worth a lot of money. In fact, the NCAA have recently signed a 14-year $11 Billion broadcasting deal.

Differences from NBA?

A number of key differences exist between NCAA basketball and the NBA. Firstly, a NCAA men's game consists of two 20 minute halves, in comparison to the four 12 minute quarters as played in the NBA. The shot clock regulations also differ between the two games. In a NCAA mens game the shot clock starts at 35 seconds, whereas in the NBA it is 24 seconds.

The 3-point line is also closer to the hoop in a NCAA game, than in the NBA.

Further differences include rules regarding numbers of fouls required for a 'foul out' and the regulations regarding jersey numbers.

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