I'm potentially interested in joining my college's basketball team depending on how much of a time commitment it is. Does anyone have a ballpark estimate of how long most college basketball games last, including halftime and potential overtime? Any insight would be much appreciated, since I'm trying to balance sports with academics.
Most college basketball games typically last around 2 hours. This is because the game is divided into two halves, each lasting 20 minutes. However, there's also a 15-minute halftime break.
On top of that, there can be occasional stoppages for things like timeouts, fouls, and other game proceedings. Each team is allowed five timeouts (one 60-second and four 30-second timeouts), which can extend the duration of the game.
Additionally, if the game results in a tie, there will be a 5-minute overtime period to determine the winner. In rare cases, there might be multiple overtimes which could significantly extend the game duration.
While this provides a rough idea of the duration of the actual games, keep in mind that being part of the basketball team also involves practices, workouts, and meetings, which can take many hours throughout the week. I would suggest reaching out to the coach or existing players to get an idea of the overall time commitment.
Don't forget to factor in away games which also require travel time. Balancing sports and academics can be challenging, but many student-athletes effectively manage their time to successfully juggle both.
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