How many quarters are there in college basketball? Exploring the NCAA basketball rule book

The 2023-2024 college basketball campaign is in full swing as the regular season has passed the midway point and conference play is underway. Take a look below at how many quarters there are in college basketball.

How many quarters are there in college basketball?

While NBA teams play four 12-minute quarters, there aren't any quarters in men's college basketball. Instead, there are two 20-minute halves.

When the game of basketball was created in the late 1890s, the original rules called for two 15-minute halves. In 1905, however, the rules were adjusted to two 20-minute halves as it was clear that the original format was too short for a high-scoring affair.

In 1951, the NBA and NCAA both changed their rules to result in games being played over four10-minute quarters. Three years later, however, the NCAA resorted back to playing two 20-minute halves while the NBA simply added two minutes to each quarter.

Women's college basketball teams, on the other hand, play four 10-minute quarters. While they had played two 20-minute halves, the rule was changed ahead of the 2015-2016 season.

As things stand, men's college basketball is the only level where quarters are not played.

How is the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll shaping up?

The men's college basketball season has passed the midway point, with the list of contenders beginning to take shape. Take a look at the rankings, which have several usual suspects near the top of the list.

1. UConn Huskies

2. Purdue Boilermakers

3. Kansas Jayhawks

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

5. Houston Cougars

6. Tennessee Volunteers

7. Duke Blue Devils

8. Kentucky Wildcats

9. Baylor Bears

10. Memphis Tigers

11. Wisconsin Badgers

12. Arizona Wildcats

13. Auburn Tigers

14. Illinois Fighting Illini

15. Oklahoma Sooners

16. Utah State Aggies

17. Marquette Golden Eagles

18. Creighton Bluejays

19. TCU Horned Frogs

20. BYU Cougars

21. Dayton Flyers

22. Ole Miss Rebels

23. Florida Atlantic Owls

24. Iowa State Cyclones

25. Texas Tech Red Raiders

While maintaining a spot in the AP Top 25 poll will help teams earn a bid in the NCAA Tournament, it does not guarantee the chance to play in March Madness. There have been several teams who ended the regular season in the final AP rankings but did not qualify for the tournament.

For programs that play in larger, more talented conferences, it is unlikely to be an issue. For those in conferences that earn just one berth, those teams will likely need to win their conference championships.