MM 9.17: 2020-21 college basketball season to tip off Nov. 25

College basketball will officially be making its return prior to the beginning of the new year, as the NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to begin the 2020-21 season on Nov. 25.

Teams can begin to practice as early as Oct. 14, with the preseason taking place in the 42 days prior to the official start date. However, no scrimmages or exhibitions can be held during any this period.

The decision to begin in late November will almost certainly impact the status of multi-team events such as the Maui Invitational and the Battle 4 Atlantis, as many were originally scheduled to begin on Nov. 23 and will now have to be rescheduled, if they are still held.

Maryland basketball was slated to host the Maryland Showcase from Nov. 16 through Nov. 25, so a revised start date should be announced soon.

Another council meeting is expected to be held in mid-October, in which COVID-19 testing and gameday protocols will be ironed out. The council can also decide to push the start date further back if the coronavirus situation worsens.

In other news

The Big Ten officially announced the return of the fall sports season on Wednesday. Wes detailed the whole saga, from the initial postponement through what went into the reversal.

The NCAA announced that the recruiting dead period will now be extended until January 1, 2021.

Maryland football is back, folks.

Former Terps J.C. Jackson and Stefon Diggs were two of the standout performers from week one in the NFL.

Maryland men’s and women’s basketball also celebrated the announced start date of the 2020-21 season.

Former Maryland women’s basketball stars Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones and Kaila Charles each played a big role in the Connecticut Sun’s win over the Chicago Sun Tuesday.

Maryland women’s lacrosse welcomed seven new freshman to the fold this season.