Look no further than the final week of calendar 2025 to see the perennial scheduling quandary Sun Belt Conference basketball programs encounter. On Dec. 29, Old Dominion plays at Maryland, followed the next evening by James Madison’s test at Arkansas.

Look no further than Valentine’s Day to see the impact of the ACC’s pivot from 20 to 18 conference games. On that Saturday, Virginia faces Ohio State in Nashville, while Louisville plays Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas.

As coaches ponder their own scheduling approach, and as commissioners/athletic directors contemplate their conference’s path, it’s all about NCAA Tournament positioning.

How best to convince the tournament selection committee that your teams merit at-large bids? How best to game the NET and other metrics the panel evaluates?

T

See Full Page