Pac-12 basketball teams will have to schedule at least mid-level nonconference opponents on average starting in 2020-21.
Pac-12 leaders voted Monday to approve new nonconference basketball scheduling standards starting in 2020-21, requiring teams to put together nonconference schedules with a trailing five-year opponent NET average of 175.
Since there are 353 Division teams, that means teams won't be able to schedule more below-average teams than above-average ones. However, teams can schedule traditional opponents who are lowly rated (such as UA's games with NAU) as long as they schedule enough good teams to make up for it.
Pac-12 teams also won't be able to play road guarantee games -- in which teams are paid a set amount to play only one game -- won't be able to schedule nonconference games against anyone outside of Division 1 and won't be able to play a road game against a team with a five-year trailing average of 200 or more.
These new regulations are not likely to affect Arizona, since the Wildcats annually play two or three home-and-home series against good-quality opponents, plus the occasional high-level neutral site game -- and usually seek homecourt guarantee opponents in the 125-200 range.ย
The Wildcats also never play guarantee road games and rarely play anyone on the road above 125 or so.
Earlier this month, the Pac-12 voted to implement a 20-game conference schedule starting in 2020-21.
