The state of college basketball for months has been a blurry picture, but yesterday the picture became more clear as the NCAA announced November 25 as the official start date of the 2020-2021 season after a meeting with the Divison 1 Council.

Sources: The 20-21 college basketball season will officially begin on November 25th. https://t.co/CFPd32fePB

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 16, 2020

Robert Morris Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris King is pleased to know a concrete start date for the return of men’s and women’s basketball.

“The new season start date eliminates the uncertainty that existed for our basketball programs to start the process of restructuring the regular-season schedules,” King said. “The Horizon League Council of Athletic Directors will continue discussions on the framework of the regular season and championship models, as the planning framework will take into consideration league principles, safety considerations, and competition priorities.”

Starting on Saturday, September 21, teams are allowed eight hours a week of on-court workouts. Practices can officially start on October 14.

As far as scheduling options go, schools have multiple options to choose from. They can play 25 total regular-season games with a three-game multi-team event (MTE), 25 regular-season games with a two-game MTE, or they can play only 25 regular-season games.

King stressed the importance of health and safety with the return of collegiate athletics.

“The safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff is paramount as we work to re-engage in athletics competition.”

The Colonials are entering their first season in the Horizon League after men’s basketball took home the Northeast Conference championship crown after posting an overall record of 20-14 and 15-5 in-conference. Women’s basketball was shut down before their 2019-2020 campaign could conclude, finishing 23-7 overall and 17-1 in the program’s final year in the Northeast Conference.