Photo by: Jeff Harwell
Full Men’s Basketball Schedule Finalized for 2019-20 Season
September 04, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Slate features six non-league home games, Diamond Head Classic, 18 MAC contests
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The 2019-20 Ball State men's basketball schedule features home matchups with 20-game winners Loyola Chicago and Northern Kentucky, a visit to Georgia Tech, a holiday trip to Hawaii and an 18-game Mid-American Conference slate starting with back-to-back home games against last year's divisional champions.
The Cardinals' full schedule, released Wednesday in conjunction with the MAC office, also features its share of traditional in-state contests during the non-conference portion. BSU will visit Evansville (Nov. 9), square off with Indiana State at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (Nov. 17) and host IUPUI (Dec. 7).
The Northern Kentucky (Nov. 20), Loyola (Dec. 3) and IUPUI contests come as part of a five-game homestand that also features tilts with Howard (Nov. 23) and Western Illinois (Nov. 26), coached by former BSU assistant Billy Wright.
Ball State's Dec. 18 trip to Georgia Tech is the third of three true road games on the non-conference schedule, along with trips to Evansville and UIC (Nov. 9). The Cardinals will head from Atlanta to Honolulu for three games Christmas week in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, starting with defending Pac-12 regular season champion Washington.
Ball State opens the MAC schedule with home games against reigning league champion Buffalo (Jan. 3) and reigning West Division champ Toledo (Jan. 7).
Buffalo is one of two MAC East opponents Ball State will face both home and away this season. The other is Bowling Green, which finished second to UB in the East last year and fell to the Bulls in the championship game of the MAC Tournament.
In its other games against the East Division, Ball State will host Ohio and Miami in Muncie and will travel to play Akron and Kent State. As always, the Cardinals will face the other five West Division opponents both home and away.
Ball State wraps up the regular season March 6 at Northern Illinois. The MAC Tournament will be played the following week with the top four teams earning byes to Cleveland and the remainder playing first-round games March 9 on campus sites.
Several BSU games have already been slated for national television. All Diamond Head Classic games will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNU, while Ball State's Jan. 3 MAC opener at home against Toledo and Jan. 7 contest at Akron (both Friday nights) will appear on CBS Sports Network.
The MAC office will announce a full television schedule in October. All Ball State home games and league games not airing on TV will be available on ESPN3 or ESPN+.
Ball State is entering its seventh season under head coach James Whitford, returning eight letterwinners to mix with six first-time players on a team Whitford has called the deepest of his tenure. The Cardinals got an early start this year with 10 summer practices and three games last month on their trip to Costa Rica.
The season officially tips off Nov. 5 against Division III Defiance College at Worthen Arena. Season ticket holders can renew their seats online at ballstatesports.com/myaccount or call 888.BSU.TICKET to renew via phone.
2019-20 Ball State Men's Basketball Schedule
Tues., Nov. 5 – Defiance College
Sat., Nov. 9 – at Evansville
Wed., Nov. 13 – at UIC
Sun., Nov. 17 – vs. Indiana State (Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.)
Wed., Nov. 20 – Northern Kentucky
Sat., Nov. 23 – Howard
Tues., Nov. 26 – Western Illinois
Tues., Dec. 3 – Loyola Chicago
Sat., Dec. 7 – IUPUI
Wed., Dec. 18 – at Georgia Tech
Sun., Dec. 22 – vs. Washington (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2)
Mon., Dec. 23 – vs. UTEP or Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Wed., Dec. 25 – vs. TBD (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Fri., Jan. 3 – Toledo* (CBS Sports Network)
Tues., Jan. 7 – Buffalo*
Fri., Jan. 10 – at Akron* (CBS Sports Network)
Tues., Jan. 14 – at Eastern Michigan*
Sat., Jan. 18 – Miami*
Sat., Jan. 25 – at Central Michigan*
Tues., Jan. 28 – at Bowling Green*
Sat., Feb. 1 – Ohio*
Tues., Feb. 4 – at Kent State*
Sat., Feb. 8 – at Western Michigan*
Tues., Feb. 11 – Northern Illinois*
Sat., Feb. 15 – Bowling Green*
Tues., Feb. 18 – at Buffalo*
Sat., Feb. 22 – Eastern Michigan*
Tues., Feb. 25 – Western Michigan*
Sat., Feb. 29 – at Toledo*
Tues., March 3 – Central Michigan*
Fri., March 6 – at Northern Illinois*
March 9-14 – MAC Tournament
*MAC games
The Cardinals' full schedule, released Wednesday in conjunction with the MAC office, also features its share of traditional in-state contests during the non-conference portion. BSU will visit Evansville (Nov. 9), square off with Indiana State at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (Nov. 17) and host IUPUI (Dec. 7).
The Northern Kentucky (Nov. 20), Loyola (Dec. 3) and IUPUI contests come as part of a five-game homestand that also features tilts with Howard (Nov. 23) and Western Illinois (Nov. 26), coached by former BSU assistant Billy Wright.
Ball State's Dec. 18 trip to Georgia Tech is the third of three true road games on the non-conference schedule, along with trips to Evansville and UIC (Nov. 9). The Cardinals will head from Atlanta to Honolulu for three games Christmas week in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, starting with defending Pac-12 regular season champion Washington.
Ball State opens the MAC schedule with home games against reigning league champion Buffalo (Jan. 3) and reigning West Division champ Toledo (Jan. 7).
Buffalo is one of two MAC East opponents Ball State will face both home and away this season. The other is Bowling Green, which finished second to UB in the East last year and fell to the Bulls in the championship game of the MAC Tournament.
In its other games against the East Division, Ball State will host Ohio and Miami in Muncie and will travel to play Akron and Kent State. As always, the Cardinals will face the other five West Division opponents both home and away.
Ball State wraps up the regular season March 6 at Northern Illinois. The MAC Tournament will be played the following week with the top four teams earning byes to Cleveland and the remainder playing first-round games March 9 on campus sites.
Several BSU games have already been slated for national television. All Diamond Head Classic games will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNU, while Ball State's Jan. 3 MAC opener at home against Toledo and Jan. 7 contest at Akron (both Friday nights) will appear on CBS Sports Network.
The MAC office will announce a full television schedule in October. All Ball State home games and league games not airing on TV will be available on ESPN3 or ESPN+.
Ball State is entering its seventh season under head coach James Whitford, returning eight letterwinners to mix with six first-time players on a team Whitford has called the deepest of his tenure. The Cardinals got an early start this year with 10 summer practices and three games last month on their trip to Costa Rica.
The season officially tips off Nov. 5 against Division III Defiance College at Worthen Arena. Season ticket holders can renew their seats online at ballstatesports.com/myaccount or call 888.BSU.TICKET to renew via phone.
2019-20 Ball State Men's Basketball Schedule
Tues., Nov. 5 – Defiance College
Sat., Nov. 9 – at Evansville
Wed., Nov. 13 – at UIC
Sun., Nov. 17 – vs. Indiana State (Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.)
Wed., Nov. 20 – Northern Kentucky
Sat., Nov. 23 – Howard
Tues., Nov. 26 – Western Illinois
Tues., Dec. 3 – Loyola Chicago
Sat., Dec. 7 – IUPUI
Wed., Dec. 18 – at Georgia Tech
Sun., Dec. 22 – vs. Washington (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2)
Mon., Dec. 23 – vs. UTEP or Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Wed., Dec. 25 – vs. TBD (Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii) (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Fri., Jan. 3 – Toledo* (CBS Sports Network)
Tues., Jan. 7 – Buffalo*
Fri., Jan. 10 – at Akron* (CBS Sports Network)
Tues., Jan. 14 – at Eastern Michigan*
Sat., Jan. 18 – Miami*
Sat., Jan. 25 – at Central Michigan*
Tues., Jan. 28 – at Bowling Green*
Sat., Feb. 1 – Ohio*
Tues., Feb. 4 – at Kent State*
Sat., Feb. 8 – at Western Michigan*
Tues., Feb. 11 – Northern Illinois*
Sat., Feb. 15 – Bowling Green*
Tues., Feb. 18 – at Buffalo*
Sat., Feb. 22 – Eastern Michigan*
Tues., Feb. 25 – Western Michigan*
Sat., Feb. 29 – at Toledo*
Tues., March 3 – Central Michigan*
Fri., March 6 – at Northern Illinois*
March 9-14 – MAC Tournament
*MAC games
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