• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

College Basketball’s ‘Bubbleville’ is Bellwether for Season to Come

  • Once considered a controversial environment for amateurs, a semi-bubble event called “Bubbleville” originally planned to hold 40 college basketball teams starting Nov. 25.
  • The success of the tournament could indicate whether any level of safety protocols will allow the college basketball season to run its full course.
bubbleville
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Since September, college basketball officials like Villanova men’s coach Jay Wright and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott have raised concerns that it might be inappropriate for amateur college athletes to play in a bubble.

Wright called a hypothetical Big East college basketball bubble “shaky.” Scott said that Pac-12 university directors did not believe that bubbles would be “appropriate” for non-professionals, and that the conference did not have plans to participate in them.

And yet, on Nov. 25, teams from around the country convened at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. for “Bubbleville,” an 11-day smorgasbord of non-conference tournaments played in a singular semi-bubble environment. Villanova, as well as several teams from the Pac-12, planned to participate, and tournaments featuring marquee men’s and women’s programs include the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge and the Gazelle Group’s Empire Classic. 

The idea of Bubbleville — once considered controversial — might now be the only way to save a season of college basketball that’s tipping off into the worst nationwide COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began. The success of Bubbleville’s safety protocols and schedule could serve as a bellwether for a college basketball season to come. But already, the event has hit roadblocks, as several teams pulled out of the event due to positive tests within their organizations.

If Bubbleville can’t keep outbreaks at bay, it’s unclear whether any model for college basketball might allow the season to run a full course, including the NCAA tournament. 

The NCAA, likely eying the more than 20 canceled or postponed college football games since Nov. 9, recently announced it would move the men’s March Madness tournament closer to a bubble format, and now hopes to hold the entire tournament in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. It hasn’t announced plans for the women’s tournament.

The financial consequences would be dire for the entire NCAA sports system if the NCAA can’t hold a men’s March Madness in 2021, especially since the 2020 tournament was canceled, two experts have told Front Office Sports.

The first step to a successful bubble event requires getting teams safely inside — to do this, organizers required Bubbleville participants to test negative using a PCR test before entering the facilities.

Ahead of the event, however, a number of teams couldn’t even get into the bubble. Two premier programs, the UConn women’s basketball team and the Baylor men’s basketball team, for example, canceled participation in the event because of a positive test within their respective organizations. The Stephen F. Austin men’s basketball team arrived in Uncasville and subsequently left after a positive test in their organization, before entering the official bubble. 

So no matter how strict protocols are, Bubbleville illustrates that teams traveling to-and-from multiple bubbles could cause significant logistical issues.

So what will life inside Bubbleville look like for the teams that got safely inside? Without a college player’s union like most professional  players have, it’s up to tournament organizers, teams, conferences, and local guidelines to determine safety precautions. 

The venue already includes COVID-19 infrastructure like HVAC air filters, isolated facilities, and a relationship with a PCR testing company procured for professional events hosted at Mohegan Sun during the pandemic. And unlike participants of Mohegan Sun’s professional events, athletes in Bubbleville will receive PCR tests daily once inside, said Dave Martinelli, the chief marketing officer of Mohegan Sun Gaming and Entertainment. Participants will travel between practice courts, the arena, hotel rooms and dining areas.

“We’ve been working hard to make sure we can provide a safe, controlled environment,” said Gazelle Group president Rick Giles. “It’s probably not a true bubble, [but] it’s pretty close.”

The tournaments held in Bubbleville could also model how teams and venues might survive financially during the pandemic, and squeeze as much revenue out of games as possible. 

Tournaments won’t be as lucrative as normal years, especially with the cost of around 5,000 tests and without ticket revenue. But Bubbleville could help redeem a dismal financial season through the creation of more sponsorship opportunities with added games and a salvaged media rights inventory, said Greg Procino, vice president of basketball operations for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Bubbleville also provides continued name recognition for tournaments and the venue, Martinelli added. 

“The setup in place is something that we can all at least live with and keep active, keep people working,” Martinelli said. But “they’re not necessarily massive windfalls by any means.”

As for teams, while a large single-site tournament isn’t the best financial or logistical option during normal times, it’s more appealing during the pandemic, Procino said. Bubbleville allows teams to minimize traveling expenses and share safety protocols, allowing them to play more games for a lesser cost.

It also helps teams play the minimum number of games needed to be eligible for men’s March Madness, where conferences receive “units” determined by how far their teams get, said Karen Weaver, a college finance expert at the University of Pennsylvania. This year, teams need to play a minimum of 13 games to be eligible for March Madness.

While Bubbleville’s schedule was released on Nov. 12, even its organizers sounded unsure about how the event would turn out in the weeks leading up to tip-off — and the multiple scheduling changes and cancelations ahead of the event proved their concerns were legitimate.

“As I tell our staff,” Giles said, “we need to have a lot of grit and a little bit of luck to pull this off.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Penn State Could Owe James Franklin Very Little of Buyout

FOS has reviewed Franklin’s 2021 contract extension.
Patrick Kraft
exclusive

Penn State, Adidas Deny Wrongdoing Around $300M Apparel Deal

The school and the brand publicly defended their 10-year deal Saturday.
Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

Big Ten Vote on Investment From California Pension Expected

A vote is expected to happen as early as next week, FOS confirmed.

Featured Today

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
October 12, 2025

Penn State Fires James Franklin, Will Pay Nearly $50M Buyout

The Nittany Lions lost again Saturday, falling to 3-3 this season.
October 13, 2025

College Football Coach Firings Nearing $100M in Contract Buyouts

Two other coaches besides James Franklin were fired Sunday.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during Big Ten MenÕs Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
October 10, 2025

In an Expanded March Madness, Big Ten Favors Straight Seeding

Discussion around expanding the tournament continues to escalate.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan talks with people outside the Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens June 18
October 10, 2025

Congresswoman Says College Sports Commission Process Is ‘Harming Athletes’

The CSC’s process is “slow, inefficient, and inscrutable,” Rep. Trahan said.
exclusive
October 9, 2025

LSU Signs Multimillion-Dollar Jersey Patch Deal Before NCAA Approval

A new proposal would allow jersey sponsors in 2026.
October 9, 2025

What If UNC and Belichick Part Ways? The Buyout Structure Is …..

If Belichick is fired without cause in his last two seasons, UNC owes him nothing.