how many periods in college basketball

In college basketball, the number of periods (halves or quarters) depends on whether you’re talking about men’s or women’s NCAA games.

NCAA men’s college basketball

• Games are split into 2 periods , each lasting 20 minutes (two 20‑minute halves).

• Those 40 minutes of playing time are separated by a 15‑minute halftime break , which is one of the main differences from the NBA’s four‑quarter format.

NCAA women’s college basketball

• Since the 2015–16 season , women’s college basketball has used 4 periods , each lasting 10 minutes (four 10‑minute quarters).

• This structure matches the WNBA and international FIBA style , while men’s college basketball remains the outlier with just two halves.

Quick comparison table

League / level| Number of periods| Length per period
---|---|---
NCAA men’s college| 2 periods (halves) 15| 20 minutes each 5
NCAA women’s college| 4 periods (quarters) 13| 10 minutes each 3

So if someone asks “how many periods in college basketball,” the full‑scopewise answer is: 2 halves for men, 4 quarters for women under current NCAA rules.