MAAC Announces 2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has released the men’s basketball league schedule for the 2016-17 season, announced today by the conference.
With 11 MAAC teams, each team will continue to play 20 league games, facing each team twice in the double round-robin format (“home-and-home”).
Matchups that highlight the 2016-17 season include:
· The first league game of the season featuring Rider University hosting Fairfield University on Thursday, December 1 in Lawrenceville, NJ.
· A rematch of the MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship Game from last season between 2015-16 MAAC Men’s Basketball Champions Iona College and 2015-16 MAAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season Champions, Monmouth University, takes place on Friday, January 6 at the newly renamed OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, NJ. The Gaels and Hawks meet again on the last day of the MAAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season on Sunday, February 26 when Iona College welcomes Monmouth University to the Hynes Athletic Center.
· The “Battle of the Bridge” rivalry between Canisius College and Niagara University resumes on Monday, January 23 when the Purple Eagles host the Griffs at the Gallagher Center. The two rivals will meet again on Friday, February 10 when the Griffs welcome the Purple Eagles to the Koessler Athletic Center.
· The “hOUR –glass” rivalry between the New Jersey schools of Monmouth University, Rider University and Saint Peter’s University. The first installment of this rivalry takes place on Saturday, December 31 when the Hawks welcome the Broncs to West Long Branch. Two days later, Saint Peter’s University will host Monmouth University on Monday, January 2 in Jersey City at the Yanitelli Center. Rider University serves as host on Sunday, January 15 when they welcome the Peacocks to Lawrenceville, NJ. Saint Peter’s faces Rider University eight days later at the Yanitelli Center on Monday, January 23. The calendar then turns to February when Monmouth University hosts Saint Peter’s on Friday, February 3 and Rider University hosts Monmouth University on Monday, February 6.
· Iona College and Manhattan College will square off for the first time in the 2016-17 season on Tuesday, January 17 when the Jaspers welcome the Gaels to Draddy Gymnasium. Iona College and Manhattan College face each other again on Friday, February 24 at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, NY
· Fairfield University and Quinnipiac University, the two in-state Connecticut rivals, meet on Monday, February 6 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport and play again on Friday, February 17 at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden.
· Marist College and Siena College matchup at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, NY on Saturday, February 11 and play each other again on the last day of the MAAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season on Sunday, February 26 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY.
The full 2016-17 MAAC television broadcast schedule will be announced on a later date.
The MAAC season concludes with the 2017 MAAC Basketball Championships, March 2-6, at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. The 2017 MAAC Championship title game will take place on Monday, March 6 at 9:00 p.m. and will air live on ESPN/2 with the winner earning the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.