Would you like to know how long does basketball season last? If you have an interest in basketball at any level and would like to know how long a season lasts or specifically when the season will end, you are in the right place.

We understand that it is vital for you to have an idea of the length of the season so that you can plan accordingly. If you are a parent, you need the information to understand how you can involve yourself in your child’s basketball activities and create your basketball season calendar.

If you are a player, it is important to know the length of time that you will need to commit to basketball for each basketball season schedule. We are going to go through four different league’s lengths and end dates so that you can have a clear understanding of the seasons.

How Long Does Basketball Season Last?

Even though there are different basketball leagues, their run time is pretty much the same time of the year November into March or April of the next year.

The WNBA is the only exception as it starts after the NBA ends. We are going to look at the different levels of basketball in the United States and the length of their seasons.

High School Basketball

High school varsity basketball is one of the first stages of basketball in the country, and this is where most athletes can be identified as prospects for the collegiate and professional levels. The high school basketball league is not as long and demanding as the college and international levels because of the players’ age and physical capabilities.

In some states, the high school basketball league is scheduled around the football season, and in other states, it is scheduled around the academic requirements of the students and spring sports. There is no championship league to determine the best high school team in the country, however, there are many different state championship leagues.

These leagues are used to determine the best teams in each state. Some states will have different league formats, but for the most part, there are district tournaments that run up to mid-February, followed by regional tournaments going into the final week of February and finally state tourneys that end in March or April.

High school basketball leagues are typically five months long, but the length of each team’s participation will depend on their progression through the rounds. Even though the league may begin in November and end in March or April, there are some tournaments that are held before the official league that players can sign up for and play in.

College Basketball

College basketball is one of the most viewed leagues in the country. It is the basketball program with the highest prestige behind the NBA. College basketball athletes are divided into numerous divisions, but they have similar run times for their leagues. The college basketball season is where future professional players make their bid for a place on a roster of a professional team.

The college basketball season typically begins in the first week of November and runs through to April. There are numerous early-season tournaments that are contested before the official NCAA games. Some of the most famous tournaments are the Charleston classic, the Myrtle Beach Invitational, the Legends Classic, the Gulf Coast showcase, and The Las Vegas international. There are many other early-season tournaments as well.

The college basketball season typically runs for five months from November to April. This is plenty of time for NBA prospects to showcase their talents to scouts and other interested parties.

Unfortunately, some players do get injured over this period. Depending on when they get injured and the severity of the injuries, they may have opportunities to return to the tournament and play. The NCAA college basketball season is almost the same length as the NBA season, but the number of games is not the same.

The NBA 82-game season is a lot more rigorous than the college basketball season. The length of time that a college participates in the season is also dependent on how far they progress in each tournament.

NBA Basketball

Almost everyone is interested in this part. The NBA season. The 2019 to 2020 is one that is quite different from many others in the past. Due to the novel coronavirus, the season was placed on a hiatus in March of 2020.

It was resumed in a confined environment in August of 2020. This will result in a prolonged NBA season; however, this is not the case for most others. In general, the NBA season runs typically from October to June each season. Each NBA season consists of two major sections and the one minor section.

The regular season and the playoffs are the two major sections, and the preseason would be the minor section of the NBA season. The preseason and the summer leagues are usually when the coaches allow young players to show them what they have and work on building essential team chemistry and developing in their plays.

The regular-season, on the other hand, is very serious. Teams normally try to win as many games as they can over these 82 games to secure a spot in the top eight, allowing them to compete for the championship in the playoffs. The length of the playoffs will depend on the advancement of each team.

In each round of the playoffs, the teams play a best-of-seven series. The length and amount of games that each team plays will depend on how quickly they can win four games before their opponents. Teams that make it to the finals will play more games than teams that make it only to the first round.

WNBA Basketball

The WNBA basketball season is one of the shortest seasons in the States. It is also one that has a very different operational time when compared to other Basketball leagues. Some of the reasons for this are the fact that their players play in other leagues across the world and because they want to make sure that they are not playing while other leagues such as the NBA and NCAA leagues are going on.

This would mean fewer viewers for their league. The WNBA runs for five months from May through to September. The WNBA was also affected by the novel coronavirus this year, so the season did not run as planned. At the time of this article, in August of 2021, the WNBA regular season is ongoing.

The WNBA can enjoy a shorter season because it has fewer teams than the NBA, and they play far fewer games. The NBA has a total of 30 teams that play 82 regular-season games, and then playoffs commence while the WNBA has12 teams that play 36 games before their playoff games.

When Does Basketball Season End?

High School Basketball

There are a variety of different factors that will determine the high school basketball season end dates. Obviously, the season for individual teams will end based on how far the team progresses.

From a league perspective, the season will end based on the state’s governing body of the sport. Some states will schedule their seasons around other sports such as spring sports and the football season, while other states will schedule their seasons based on the academic requirements of the students. Most states end their seasons in March, a few end their seasons in February and fewer in April.

College Basketball

College basketball has three different divisions, however, there finishing time is quite similar. The college season typically runs for five months and culminates in the month of March. In the NCAA Division 1 championship, this period is known as March Madness.

The March Madness period is a tournament consisting of 68 Division I teams that play in a single-elimination format. This is used to determine the national championship of the NCAA Division I. This tournament is one of the most competitive and anticipated basketball tournaments each year.

NBA Basketball

The NBA basketball season is the longest basketball season in America. The NBA basketball season comprises off the regular season and the playoffs. The regular season typically begins in October and runs until April of the following year.

The NBA basketball season end dates will vary from year to year but the playoffs usually start in April and the run-up to the month of June. The NBA season would then be concluded.

WNBA Basketball

The WNBA season is the second-longest season in the US behind the NBA as it lasts for six months. The WNBA season is one that runs from May to October each year.

The season typically has its regular season up to September, and the playoffs start in the first week of that month. The playoffs are generally around a month-long, so the WNBA season ends typically in the first or second week of October.

Wrapping Things Up: When Does Basketball Season Typically End?

Basketball is played across multiple leagues at multiple levels for multiple ages in the United States. Each league has different lengths, and some operate in different months. Basketball on a whole is considered a winter sport, but at all the levels, it goes way beyond the winter months.

Basketball season ends for the high school leagues in February, March, or April. For the college level, the basketball season runs from November up to March and at the professional level in the NBA, of the regular season runs up to April, and then the playoffs commence. The playoffs consist of four seven-game series rounds.

For teams that make it to the NBA finals, the season goes all the way up to the month of June. The WNBA starts their season after the NBA, so basketball is extended past June. The WNBA season normally begins in May. The regular season runs up to the first week of September. The playoffs would start in September and then end the following month.

The WNBA is the final official League off the basketball season. Since most of the Leagues begin in the month following the end of the WNBA, it is fair to say that basketball is an all-year sport even though it is classified as a winter sport.

Did you find this helpful? Then also check out our post on the start dates of the basketball season.

Did you find this post helpful? Then also check out other basketball FAQ articles here.

> How Long is High School Basketball Season?

> When Do NCAA Basketball Rankings Come Out?