The NCAA recently announced their most recent rule changes that will be implemented this upcoming season for men’s college basketball. In addition to these rule changes, there are rumors floating about that might benefit the Kansas Jayhawks. There is supposedly momentum to switch men’s college basketball from two halves to four quarters:
There is “positive momentum” toward moving college basketball games from halves to quarters, per the NCAA. pic.twitter.com/F3bcqKtvyL
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) June 11, 2025
The assumption is that the games would still consist of 40 total minutes, but the 10-minute quarters opposed to the 20-minute halves present an interesting wrinkle if implemented. This would align men’s college basketball with the NBA and women’s college basketball. When these rumors first circulated to social media, the fan reactions were mixed.
Some hoops fans argued that they like the flow of two halves rather than quarters that lead to additional stoppages. They added that two halves in men’s college hoops makes the sport more unique. Others claimed that they should be aligned with what other basketball game structures look like. Regardless, if this change happens, it helps Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
Quarters would allow Bill Self to lean on his strengths and assist his tendencies
Entering the last two years, Kansas was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, with both seasons being disappointments based on the projections. KU struggled so much that there were rumors about Self retiring, especially after he hinted at being in the latter stages of his Kansas basketball coaching journey.
The preseason rankings this year are much less favorable to KU, with many having them in the mid-late teens. Despite these lower projections for KU, the team still has high expectations for themselves thanks to the abundance of capable talent on their roster.
Currently, KU feels a bit top-heavy (but still very talented) and lacking some depth, but the switch to quarters would be a big boost to Coach Self and this roster construction. Self has always been revered as a coach who is elite at play-calling out of a timeout that leads to easy buckets. Additionally, his baseline plays under the basket have been elite due to his crafty lob plays.
With quarters, there would be a few extra possessions each game where he can draw something up for the fellas and put his legendary basketball mind to use. The other huge perk is that stoppages between quarters allow for a more natural and consistent break for players who might be playing heavier minutes, such as Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga this upcoming year.
Will this change actually happen this upcoming season? It feels unlikely, but the fact that it is “coming soon” according to many should make Jayhawks fans very excited.