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A college basketball bubble could be in the future as the NCAA has filed a trademark for “Battle in the Bubble.” No plans for a season have been announced, but the NCAA expects to make a decision on the start date by mid-September. As scheduled, the season would begin Nov. 10.
A “Battle in the Bubble” event proposal was reportedly pitched to the NCAA by a Houston-based event operator earlier this month. It could include 20 teams playing out a non-conference schedule.
While the ethics of holding student-athletes within a bubble are up for debate, a collegiate basketball season is financially important to schools, conferences and TV networks. For March Madness alone, CBS and Turner pay the NCAA $771 million for the media rights and the networks score more than $1 billion in ad dollars.
