From basketball socks as part of the uniform to the rules of the game, a lot has changed in basketball over the years. In 1891, physical education teacher James Naismith was trying to come up with a game that would help his track athletes stay in shape without hurting them. That winter at a YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Ma., now called Springfield College, the game of basketball was invented, and today the sport has spread to college campuses everywhere.
Basketball Becomes A Collegiate Favorite
The first college to play basketball with an opponent outside of the school was Vanderbilt University. They played against Nashville, Tennessee, YMCA in 1893. The first college basketball game to take place against two college teams occurred in February 1895 when Minnesota A&M faced off against Hamline University. Each team was allowed nine players on the court at a time. The rules were changed to the now standard five players per team in January 1896.
Modern Day College Basketball
Until the late 1970’s when college basketball started being televised more often, many colleges played with no conference membership at all. However, there are now multiple divisions that colleges can opt to be a part of. College basketball conferences continually come and go as schools opt to split and form other conferences or join other conferences leaving too few teams to continue the conference that they left. In today’s college basketball, there are over 350 schools playing basketball in Division I alone. All but two of those schools host not only men’s college basketball teams but women’s college basketball teams as well. The two that don’t have women’s teams are VMI and The Citadel. They are military colleges that until the 1990’s were all male.
For example, 2018-2019 will be the last season for the Heartland Conference as eight of the nine members announced that they would be leaving for the Lone Star Conference in 2019. The remaining college found a home in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
College Basketball Socks and Uniforms
Like all sports, college basketball has a certain attire that they are expected to wear. Players typically wear shorts and a tank top or sleeveless style tops. Most players opt for a crew sock or even an over the calf style sock to finish off their look.
MadSportsStuff has one of the largest varieties of sports socks available. They have basketball socks that are crew socks and over the calf styles that are moisture wicking, have ankle and arch compression to reduce player fatigue, and offer blister control features. They are also infused with antimicrobials to control odor and bacteria, are lightweight, and have a double welt top to keep them in place.
They offer a large variety of designs and colors, and your basketball socks can even be customized to have your jersey number on them. There’s no better way to build team spirit than providing your team with customer player ID basketball socks.
When it’s time to cheer on your favorite college basketball team, MadSportsStuff has you covered there too. They offer an ever-expanding list of NCAA Collegiate Socks including the University of Nebraska, University of Alabama, and many more. Just like all of their sports socks, their high-quality collegiate socks are made right here in the U.S.A.
College Basketball Season Is Right Around the Corner
Villanova shocked many people when they were the team that got to take down the net at the end of the 2017-2018 season. Following the season, plenty of postseason action has taken place including late recruits, NBA drafts, and countless numbers of transfers. All of these things have an impact on the upcoming season.
Certain teams have solidified their threat as part of the 2018-2019 season while other teams have dropped down a notch or two. While transfers and drafts are always part of the equations, fans still tend to start making predictions about who will be good picks and who won’t be for the upcoming season.
While we won’t know for sure if Villanova will be able to defend their title, what we do know is that it is important for all teams to try to win their regular season title because the benefits of being number one going into March Madness are undeniable. With very few exceptions, the champ of the regular season playoffs is assured a spot in the Big Dance.
Opening Night Changes Coming to 2018-2019
Unlike years in the past, the 2018-2019 men’s college basketball season will kick off on a Tuesday night rather than a Friday. While some people think the move was about getting away from a crazy busy football weekend, officials claim it was more about squeezing in a few more days to the season before the new year rolls around.
In prior years the season was compressed in an attempt to jam conference games, tournaments, and challenge games into one spot. While some people question if three days will matter, coaches and officials say the spacing of games and the possibility of practice days will be welcome. As part of the package, the conferences are considering the option of giving student-athletes three days off in December around Christmas.
The NBA also starts their season on a Tuesday to avoid busy football weekends. NCAA officials say that television windows are increasingly hard to come by due to college football and NFL games, so NCAA basketball was getting lost on the weekend. Instead, this year’s season will tip off on Tuesday, November 6 with Duke taking on Kentucky and Michigan State going up against Kansas.
Are You Ready for College Basketball Season?
To ensure that you’re ready for college basketball season to start, check out the wide selection of Collegiate Basketball Socks at MadSportsStuff. We’ve got basketball socks in every color and design you can imagine. Not only are they good to wear while cheering on your favorite team at home and in the arena, but they’re made to last while battling it out on the court. Our college basketball socks are made to withstand any amount of competition you throw at them.
