Table of Contents
Introduction
How long is a college basketball game? That may seem like a simple question, but the answer is quite more complicated than one might think. College basketball games have different lengths depending on the level of competition. For example, NCAA men’s basketball games’ length is more than 2 hours whereas women’s basketball length is 2 hours, on average. Similarly, the game’s length also depends upon the levels of divisions, for example, lower divisions have shorter time-lapse as compared to higher divisions. For instance, high school basketball length is 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours
Even within Division I, there is variation. In men’s basketball, the average game length is about 2 hours and 20 minutes. However, for marquee matchups between top-ranked teams, that number can jump to over 2 hours and 30 minutes. On the other hand, many women’s games last less than 2 hours.
So what accounts for the discrepancy in-game times? There are several factors at play. First of all, coaches often use a deliberate style of play in order to run down the clock and preserve a lead. Second, the frequency of timeouts and the time taken by teams to take the throw, and lastly the number of fouls has a great contribution in making the game lengthy.
The NCAA has a rule that states the length of a college basketball game is 40 minutes long.
According to the rules devised by NCCA, there are two halves each with 2 minutes and whereas the interval time is 15 minutes. There is also an extra time of 5 minutes which makes the total college basketball game of 55 minutes.
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How long is a college basketball game when broadcast live?
As explained earlier, the standard game time devised by NCAA is 5 minutes with two halves-each with 20 minutes, 15 minutes for interval break, and 5extra minutes.
However, time varies for matches that are broadcast live on TV. Most of the NCAA games are around 2 hours and 10 minutes on TV.
How long is a college basketball game as compared to NBA?
No doubt NBA is played at a higher level, even, people from across watch these matches, unlike college basketball games. The average college basketball game is around 2 hours and 10 minutes long. This is shorter than the NBA, which has an average game length of around 2 hours and 45 minutes. College basketball games have many time-outs and stoppages, while the NBA has a few more time-outs and commercials.
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How long is a college basketball game as compared to NBA?
As mentioned earlier, in college basketball, the women’s game is shorter than the men’s. A women’s game is four quarters long, with each quarter lasting 10 minutes. There are four time-outs for a team in a women’s game, similar to a men’s game.
Longest basketball game in the history of the NCAA.
Similar to the NBA longest match, NCAA has also witnessed the longest matches in its history. Below are the two longest basketball matches played in the history of the NCAA.
Bradley against Cincinnati
In 1981, the Bradley Braves and the Cincinnati Bearcats played the longest basketball game in NCAA history. The match was tied after four hours of play, and it wasn’t until the fifth overtime that Bradley emerged victorious. This marathon match is a testament to the endurance and skill of these college athletes.
Connecticut against Syracuse
The NCAA basketball game between the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University on March 12, 2009, was the second-longest game in NCAA history. This basketball game lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes. Syracuse won the game, and final score of the game was 127-117.
Conclusion
How long is a college basketball game? The average college basketball game is around 2 hours and 10 minutes long. This is shorter than the NBA, which has an average game length of around 2 hours and 45 minutes. College basketball games have many time-outs and stoppages, while the NBA has a few more time-outs and commercials.
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