Mark Pope wants more games—the NCAA gave him one
Mark Pope asked for more basketball. The NCAA delivered… but just barely.
Starting in the 2026–27 season, Division I men’s basketball teams will be allowed to play 32 regular season games, up from the long-standing cap of 31. It's a small step forward, and if you ask Pope, probably not enough. It is not mandatory either, teams can schedule another game if they'd like to and can find an opponent.
Mark Pope craves more flexibility with his schedule. The Kentucky head coach has said on multiple occasions, he would love to get to 40 games a year. But would settle for 35. He believes it would be good for all programs and allow him the ability to schedule more big time games:
"Part of the complication is that we make so much revenue off our home games that I’m locked into this 20-game home slate. We have to do that to pay the bills for us and for the athletic department, which is good, but bring on some more flexibility so we play some more games that every school can actually bring in some more revenue, that we can share with these student athletes, that we share with the rest of athletic department."Mark Pope
For programs like Kentucky, every home game at Rupp Arena isn’t just a showcase—it’s a financial engine. Ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and broadcast rights from those games help fund not only men’s basketball, but other sports across campus. The current scheduling structure leaves little room to maneuver.
Adding just one extra game doesn’t radically alter the landscape, but it’s something. For coaches who want to challenge their teams with top-tier non-conference matchups—especially in neutral-site or early-season tournaments (MTEs like Maui, Atlantis, etc.)—that 32nd game might be just enough breathing room to take a few more risks.
But make no mistake: Pope is pushing for more than just one extra date on the calendar. He’s advocating for a system where elite programs can balance tradition, competition, and economics without having to sacrifice one for the other.
Whether the NCAA takes a bigger swing down the road remains to be seen. For now, Pope got his wish... sort of.