How long is a college basketball game

As of 1 November 2026, the standard duration for a college basketball game in the NCAA remains consistent with established regulations. A regulation men’s college basketball game consists of two 20-minute halves, totaling 40 minutes of play. In contrast, women’s college basketball games are played in four 10-minute quarters, also totaling 40 minutes. While the clock stops for various dead-ball situations, timeouts, and fouls, the actual game time is strictly defined by these periods. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, the game proceeds into overtime periods, which are five minutes long for both men’s and women’s divisions, continuing until a winner is determined. These rules were most recently reaffirmed in the official NCAA rulebooks published on 15 October 2026. While the total game time can extend significantly beyond 40 minutes due to media timeouts, halftime intervals, and foul shots, the fundamental structure of the game clock remains the primary metric for determining the length of play in collegiate competition.