Kentucky HC Mark Pope demands college basketball expansion to 40 games, says current season "isn't long enough"

The Kentucky Wildcats coach, Mark Pope, has made a huge call for changes to the current basketball season setup. Pope believes that the current schedule that sees teams play around an average of 30 games per season is too short.

“So, the season flies by every year. It’s, like, it’s just not long enough. The season has gone by really, really fast,” Pope said at his press conference on Friday.

"I just think it’s time to expand our season out to a 40-game season. Like, it should be a 40-game season. Especially with all the change and the turnover and the lack of continuity of teams, revenue-sharing, and everything else?

Pope pointed out that a 31-game season no longer "makes sense." He vowed to stand firm in his stance, even if alone.

He also made a case that increasing the number of games would provide more opportunities for players looking to turn pros, helping them develop their skills and adjust to the level of competition at the professional level.

The college basketball season follows a structured format. It usually starts in early November and runs until April, with teams playing between 29 to 41 games in a season depending on if they make the NCAA tournament.

How the college basketball season works: Games, tournaments and the road to March Madness

A season is divided into three main parts: non-conference games, conference play and postseason tournaments.

Non-conference games happen first, where teams play against schools outside their league. Then, conference play begins, where teams compete within their division to secure high rankings.

After the regular season, conference tournaments take place, with winners earning automatic spots in the NCAA Tournament, also called March Madness.

This single-elimination tournament features 68 teams, including selected teams and conference champions. The tournament has multiple rounds: First Four, Round of 64, Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and the Championship Game.