The ball is tipped

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We’ve waited exactly 210 days for this moment. The drought is over. College basketball is finally BACK! The buzzer beaters, the upsets, the madness — it all starts today.

Also awesome? By the time you read this, there will already be basketball to watch. So let’s get to it.

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1. A binge worthy day of hoops

Is it really the start of the college basketball season without an all-day marathon of hoops? No, it’s not. But that’s why we’re here. The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon should be one for the ages.

Below is your guide for each game (all tip times ET):

Winthrop vs. Queens, 8 a.m., Rock Hill — Nothing says college basketball is back quite like an 8 a.m. tipoff between regional foes. Winthrop is currently on a four-game winning streak in the series, but Queens, the ASUN preseason favorite, won 20 plus games last year.

Bradley vs. St. Bonaventure, 11 a.m., Rock Hill — Two of the most consistent mid-major programs clash in a coaching chess match between Brian Wardle and Mark Schmidt. This one could look like a March game in early November.

Murray State vs. Omaha, 1:30 p.m., Sioux Falls — The Ryan Miller era begins at Murray State, just an hour away from his hometown. It’ll be a special moment for him. Omaha comes off an NCAA Tournament run and will try to keep the momentum going.

Drake vs. Northern Arizona, 4 p.m., Sioux Falls — Eric Henderson makes his return to South Dakota, leading Drake this time, while Shane Burcar hopes to start his seventh season off with a big win. This one could get up and down with both offenses playing at a fast pace.

High Point vs. Furman, 6:30 p.m., Rock Hill — Bob Richey’s consistent Paladins vs. Flynn Clayman in his first game as High Point’s head coach. Both these teams can score. This should be another barn burner.

South Dakota State vs. Merrimack, 9 p.m., Sioux Falls —  Bryan Petersen moves a couple seats over to close our event, taking on a Merrimack team that’s finally eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The crowd will be turned up for its home state team.

Head over to our X.com page for interviews from the head coaches previewing today’s games.

2. The games you can’t miss this season

Need to plan out more must-see games on the calendar? We’ve got you covered with this list of the 10 non-conference games you absolutely can’t miss in 2025-26:

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