College basketball

College basketball is a form of basketball played by teams of student athletes representing colleges, universities, and military academies. The game was invented in 1891 by James Naismith at the Springfield YMCA (now part of Springfield College). It quickly spread across North America as an increasingly popular intercollegiate sport.

The rules for college basketball are largely similar to those for professional or Olympic-level play. Teams consist of five players on court at any given time; substitutions may be made during play depending on the league’s regulations. Games typically feature two 20 minute halves with a 10 minute break between them and overtime periods if necessary. In most divisions, a team must make two successful free throws after being fouled in order to receive one point from the foul shot line; other points are scored when shots are made inside or outside the three-point arc around the basket area.

Today there is a wide variety of college leagues throughout North America including NCAA Division I (D1), D2, and NAIA programs among others that offer different levels competition based upon school size & athletic budget among other factors such as conference affiliation & geographic location within their respective region(s). Additionally there exist several governing bodies such as USA Basketball which oversees international competitions like FIBA World Cup tournaments etc..

College Basketball has grown significantly since its inception over 125 years ago and continues to remain one of America’s favorite pastimes today with many fans attending games regularly either live in person or via television broadcasts online streams etc…