Fresh off its first-ever NCAA basketball tournament appearance, the Lipscomb men’s basketball team announced its 2018-19 schedule Thursday.
The slate features 29 total contests, including 14 home games and six away games within a four-hour-drive of Nashville.
The non-conference schedule will be challenging as the Bisons make trips to SMU (Nov. 18), TCU (Nov. 20), Louisville (Dec. 12) and Clemson (Dec. 30). Eight of Lipscomb’s non-conference foes finished higher than the Bisons in the final 2018 Pomeroy Ratings.
“We talked to the team about how great it is to have expectations placed upon us, but at the same time, we showed them eight of our nonconference opponents who were better than us last year,” coach Casey Alexander said in a release provided by Lipscomb’s athletic department. “We have plenty of work to do.”
Alexander also scheduled several local opponents for non-conference matchups. The Bisons will host Sewanne (Nov. 6), Tennessee State (Nov. 10) and rival Belmont (Nov. 15) to open the season, before traveling to Morehead State (Nov. 25), Middle Tennessee (Dec. 1) and Belmont (Dec. 4).
The Bisons’ date with the Blue Raiders will be the first time the two teams have met since 2007. Middle Tennessee has appeared in two of the last three NCAA tournaments, including a shocking, 90-81 upset of No. 2-seeded Michigan State in 2016.
“I am really excited we were able to get something worked out with Middle Tennessee,” Alexander said. “I have great respect for what they’ve done as probably the best program in the state of Tennessee over the last few years.”
Other non-conference home games include Covenant (Dec. 17), Vermont (Dec. 21), which lost to eventual Cinderella UMBC in the America East conference finals last March. Lipscomb also hosts the the Naval Academy on Dec. 9 after the Bisons handed the Midshipmen a 73-64 loss in Annapolis last season.
ASUN play will feature two new opponents in North Alabama and Liberty. The Lions visit Allen Arena on Feb. 2, while the Flames come to Nashville on Feb. 13.
Lipscomb will host Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 24 in a rematch of last season’s conference title game. The Bisons return the favor by traveling to Ft. Myers on Feb. 20.
“I am glad to have two extra conference games than what we’ve had in the past,” Alexander said. “And as far as the league is concerned, I think this is going to be the best it’s been in a while with a number of quality teams at the top.”
Reserved season tickets are now on sale for $175 per ticket, or $100 for general admission seating.
Lipscomb’s full 2018-19 schedule:
Photo and graphic courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics