Since the shutdown of the NCAA Tournament on the dreaded day of March 13th, the college basketball world has been eager to return. With the ongoing pandemic around the world, however, the questions have started to pour in. What will this season be like; will we even make it through a whole season? What can we expect? Will there be an NCAA Tournament? Lastly, what will the fan experience be like this season; after all, it’s the fans that make college basketball so great and unique.

This season will be unlike any other that we have ever seen before. There will be postponements and frustrating moments where Covid pushes teams to do things differently. With all things considered, this season will be a smashing success. Despite limited fan attendance this season, overall, the popularity of the game of basketball has grown larger over these last few months. With all of that in mind, the overall experience itself will be different, but in most ways, it will be the same. You will still have early season matchups made for television, but this time you will be able to enjoy it from the friendly confines of your home.

As far as the NCAA Tournament goes, we will indeed have a tournament this season. Plans are already in the works to hold a bubble-like environment in the basketball capital of the world in Indianapolis, Indiana. Playing in one geographical area will give the selection committee an incredible opportunity to give the fans an accurate seeding order rather than seeding teams based on geography. This is why many believe this year’s NCAA Tournament will be the best ever. Having the NCAA Tournament in one central location will also increase the excitement levels surrounding the tournament. No one team will have an advantage.

Lastly, the fan experience as a whole will be drastically different than years past. There will be a drastic decrease in fan attendance this season due to the social distancing guidelines that have been put in place to protect everybody involved. However, college basketball fans will still be able to cheer on their teams with the deep passion that only college basketball can provide, just in a different manner. If you’re one of the lucky few that makes it into the game this season, you can cheer on your team by wearing a mask and making enough noise to make up for the lack of fans in attendance. If you’re unlucky and not able to attend a game this season, you can host a watch party with your gameday crew, mix in the fight song of your choice, your favorite foods, and people you enjoy spending a game day with, and boom, the perfect game day experience.

We are officially one week until the start of the 2020-2021 college basketball season. Excitement levels are through the roof fans, from all across the world are gearing up for another incredible season. A new season brings new expectations as 350 teams from across the country start their journey to win a National Championship.