The NCAA announced on Wednesday that Nov. 25 will be the official start date for the 2020 college basketball season. 
“No exhibition games or closed scrimmages will be allowed before that date,” according to the NCAA. The number of games during the season will also be cut from 31 to 27.
Teams are allowed to start practicing six weeks prior to their first game, with Oct. 14 being the earliest start date for practice.
“The new season start date near the Thanksgiving holiday provides the optimal opportunity to successfully launch the basketball season,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “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.”