NCAA Division I basketball teams have long had a maximum number of regular season games — currently 28, though in the past that number has fluctuated between 26 and 28 games. That number doesn’t count postseason tournaments (whether of the conference or NCAA/NIT variety), but there are also some other games that don’t count.
A long time ago, the NCAA, recognizing that member schools outside of the continental United States had difficulty filling out their schedules — and particularly getting home games — passed a rule that games played outside of the continental United States didn’t count toward your limit.